Summary & Overview
CPT 63102: Lumbar Corpectomy, Lateral Extracavitary Approach
CPT code 63102 represents a lumbar corpectomy performed via a lateral extracavitary (LECA) approach, a major spinal surgery that removes part or all of a lumbar vertebral body and disc material to relieve compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots and to allow for concurrent stabilization. Nationally, this code is relevant for high-acuity spinal care involving fractures, tumors, or significant deformity that necessitate vertebral body resection.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find clinical context for when this service is typically performed, the common site of service, and the procedural intent of decompression plus stabilization. The publication summarizes common billing modifiers provided in input and outlines what to expect in terms of service classification and reporting.
This overview also indicates what readers will learn about benchmarking and policy relevance at a national level: how the procedure is categorized as a major inpatient spinal operation, implications for surgical resource utilization, and the clinical indications that most commonly drive use of the code. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 63102 describes a lumbar corpectomy using a lateral extracavitary (LECA) approach. The procedure involves removal of part or all of a lumbar vertebral body and associated intervertebral disc material to decompress the spinal cord and nerve roots. The LECA approach is performed through a lateral extracavitary corridor to one lumbar vertebra and commonly includes simultaneous stabilization of the spine.
Service Type: Surgical — spinal decompression and stabilization (lumbar corpectomy, lateral extracavitary approach)
Typical Site of Service: Inpatient hospital or specialized surgical center, as the procedure addresses fractures, tumors, or deformity requiring vertebral body resection and stabilization.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old patient presents with progressive lower extremity weakness, severe axial and radicular lumbar pain, and decreased ambulation after a recent motor vehicle collision that produced a burst fracture of the L3 vertebral body. Imaging with CT and MRI demonstrates collapse of the L3 vertebral body with retropulsion of bone fragments into the spinal canal causing neural element compression and segmental instability. The surgical team elects a lumbar corpectomy via a lateral extracavitary (LECA) approach to decompress the neural elements, remove the fractured vertebral body and intervertebral disc material, and reconstruct/stabilize the spinal column with instrumentation and an anterior/anterolateral structural cage and posterior segmental fixation.
The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation (history, neurological exam, CT/MRI review), informed consent, intraoperative neuromonitoring, general anesthesia, LECA corpectomy at the indicated lumbar level with discectomy above and below, placement of an interbody spacer or cage, supplemental posterior pedicle screw fixation as indicated, closure, and postoperative recovery with inpatient monitoring, pain control, and early mobilization. Indications commonly include trauma (vertebral fracture), tumor resection, infectious destruction, or severe deformity causing neural compression and instability.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier; standard reporting |