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CPT 76800: Intraoperative and Diagnostic Spinal Ultrasound

CPT code 76800 represents intraoperative and diagnostic ultrasound imaging of the spinal canal. The code covers ultrasound studies that visualize the spinal cord, vertebrae, intervertebral discs and canal contents, used both intraoperatively for guidance and localization of lesions or foreign bodies and diagnostically for evaluation of newborns and infants. Nationally, this procedure supports surgical navigation, reduces risk of retained fragments, and informs early neonatal care.

Key payers included in the analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical indications, typical sites of service, and payer coverage landscape. The publication also presents benchmarks and utilization context, coding and billing considerations, and policy or coverage updates relevant to hospitals, surgical centers, and pediatric imaging programs.

This summary is intended to provide clinicians, coding specialists, and policy analysts a clear, national-level view of the clinical role and payer context for CPT code 76800, along with topics to explore in greater detail such as utilization patterns, documentation expectations, and applicable coverage policies.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 76800 describes an intraoperative and diagnostic ultrasound examination of the spinal canal. The provider uses sound waves to capture images of the entire spinal canal, including the spinal cord, vertebrae, and intervertebral discs. The service is performed intraoperatively to identify and locate spinal tumors, small bony fragments, herniated disc material, or bullet fragments within the canal, or to guide surgical instruments to their target during the procedure. The exam also evaluates newborns and infants for various spinal disorders.

Service type: Diagnostic and intraoperative ultrasound imaging of the spine
Typical site of service: Operative suite for intraoperative guidance; neonatal or pediatric imaging suite for evaluation of newborns and infants

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CPT 76800: Intraoperative and Diagnostic Spinal Ultrasound

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Diagnostic and intraoperative ultrasound imaging of the spine
Typical site of service: Operative suite for intraoperative guidance; neonatal or pediatric imaging suite for evaluation of newborns and infants

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A neonate is born with an enlarged head circumference and > Grade 2 intraventricular hemorrhage on prenatal imaging; the neonatal team proceeds to bedside ultrasound of the spine to evaluate for tethered cord or intradural lesions. Alternatively, an adult patient is undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy for a large herniated nucleus pulposus. Intraoperatively, the surgeon requests real-time spinal ultrasound to locate herniated disc fragments and confirm decompression through visualization of the spinal canal and nerve roots. The procedure is performed by an operative team in the operating room or by a neonatology team in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The workflow includes patient positioning, sterile preparation of the operative field (or neonatal spine), intraoperative ultrasound scanning by the surgeon or an ultrasound-trained provider, image interpretation to guide instrument placement or confirm removal of material, and documentation of findings and images in the medical record. The service may be billed with only the technical component when performed by ultrasound technologists with image routing, or with the professional component when the interpreting surgeon documents real-time findings.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	When the reporting provider performs and interprets the ultrasound and bills for the physician component
`TC`	Technical component	When billing for equipment, technologist, and image acquisition only
`59`	Distinct procedural service	When an unrelated procedure is performed in a separate anatomic area or session during the same operative episode
`62`	Two surgeons	When two surgeons work together as primary surgeons during the procedure
`78`	Return to the operating room for a related procedure during the global period	When an immediate return to OR for a related spinal procedure is required
`79`	(Not in list)	Data not available in the input
`52`	Reduced services	When the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned
`53`	Discontinued procedure	When the procedure is aborted for reasons such as patient instability before completion
`76`	(Not in list)	Data not available in the input
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	When another physician repeats the ultrasound on the same day for new information
`78`	Return to OR for a related procedure during the global period	When a related return to OR occurs (duplicate entry omitted if present above)
`62`	Two surgeons	When two surgeons perform distinct portions of a complex spinal operation (duplicate entry omitted if present above)

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2084P0800X	Neurosurgery	Neurosurgeons commonly use intraoperative spinal ultrasound for tumor localization and decompression confirmation
207L00000X	Orthopedic Surgery	Spine surgeons use ultrasound intraoperatively during discectomy, decompression, and instrumentation guidance
208000000X	Pediatric Surgery	Pediatric surgeons or neonatologists may perform spinal ultrasound in infants for tethered cord evaluation
2080P0210X	Diagnostic Radiology	Interventional radiologists or radiologists may perform or assist with intraoperative ultrasound interpretation
261QM0800X	Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine	Neonatologists perform spinal ultrasound examinations in newborns at bedside for congenital anomalies

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`G96.0`	Cerebrospinal fluid leak	May be evaluated in the spinal canal, particularly postoperatively or in neonates with congenital defects
`G96.1`	Compression of brain (use alternative spinal codes as applicable)	Compression syndromes can correlate with spinal mass effects requiring intraoperative localization
`M51.2`	Other specified intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar region	Common indication for intraoperative spinal ultrasound during discectomy to locate herniated material
`C72.0`	Malignant neoplasm of spinal cord	Intraoperative ultrasound is used to localize intradural spinal cord tumors and guide resection
`S32.0`	Fracture of lumbar vertebra	Ultrasound can be used intraoperatively to locate bony fragments within the canal
`Q07.3`	Tethered cord syndrome	Neonates and infants are evaluated with spinal ultrasound for tethered cord and related anomalies
`T14.9`	Injury of unspecified body region	Used when intraoperative localization is required for foreign bodies such as bullet fragments

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`78320`	(Not a standard related spinal ultrasound CPT)	Data not available in the input
`20610`	Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; major joint or bursa (e.g., shoulder)	May be unrelated; ultrasound guidance codes are often used for percutaneous spinal injections in other workflows
`76937`	Ultrasound guidance for needle placement (e.g., biopsy, injection, aspiration), imaging supervision and interpretation	Used when ultrasound is employed to guide needle or instrument placement within the spinal canal during procedures
`61605`	Stereotactic procedures on the brain (example for localization)	In complex tumor localization workflows, stereotactic or image-guidance codes may be used in conjunction with intraoperative ultrasound
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for vascular access	Not directly related; included only as an example of ultrasound guidance in the OR

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	When the reporting provider performs and interprets the ultrasound and bills for the physician component
`TC`	Technical component	When billing for equipment, technologist, and image acquisition only
`59`	Distinct procedural service	When an unrelated procedure is performed in a separate anatomic area or session during the same operative episode
`62`	Two surgeons	When two surgeons work together as primary surgeons during the procedure
`78`	Return to the operating room for a related procedure during the global period	When an immediate return to OR for a related spinal procedure is required
`79`	(Not in list)	Data not available in the input
`52`	Reduced services	When the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned
`53`	Discontinued procedure	When the procedure is aborted for reasons such as patient instability before completion
`76`	(Not in list)	Data not available in the input
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	When another physician repeats the ultrasound on the same day for new information
`78`	Return to OR for a related procedure during the global period	When a related return to OR occurs (duplicate entry omitted if present above)
`62`	Two surgeons	When two surgeons perform distinct portions of a complex spinal operation (duplicate entry omitted if present above)

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2084P0800X	Neurosurgery	Neurosurgeons commonly use intraoperative spinal ultrasound for tumor localization and decompression confirmation
207L00000X	Orthopedic Surgery	Spine surgeons use ultrasound intraoperatively during discectomy, decompression, and instrumentation guidance
208000000X	Pediatric Surgery	Pediatric surgeons or neonatologists may perform spinal ultrasound in infants for tethered cord evaluation
2080P0210X	Diagnostic Radiology	Interventional radiologists or radiologists may perform or assist with intraoperative ultrasound interpretation
261QM0800X	Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine	Neonatologists perform spinal ultrasound examinations in newborns at bedside for congenital anomalies

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`G96.0`	Cerebrospinal fluid leak	May be evaluated in the spinal canal, particularly postoperatively or in neonates with congenital defects
`G96.1`	Compression of brain (use alternative spinal codes as applicable)	Compression syndromes can correlate with spinal mass effects requiring intraoperative localization
`M51.2`	Other specified intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar region	Common indication for intraoperative spinal ultrasound during discectomy to locate herniated material
`C72.0`	Malignant neoplasm of spinal cord	Intraoperative ultrasound is used to localize intradural spinal cord tumors and guide resection
`S32.0`	Fracture of lumbar vertebra	Ultrasound can be used intraoperatively to locate bony fragments within the canal
`Q07.3`	Tethered cord syndrome	Neonates and infants are evaluated with spinal ultrasound for tethered cord and related anomalies
`T14.9`	Injury of unspecified body region	Used when intraoperative localization is required for foreign bodies such as bullet fragments

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`78320`	(Not a standard related spinal ultrasound CPT)	Data not available in the input
`20610`	Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; major joint or bursa (e.g., shoulder)	May be unrelated; ultrasound guidance codes are often used for percutaneous spinal injections in other workflows
`76937`	Ultrasound guidance for needle placement (e.g., biopsy, injection, aspiration), imaging supervision and interpretation	Used when ultrasound is employed to guide needle or instrument placement within the spinal canal during procedures
`61605`	Stereotactic procedures on the brain (example for localization)	In complex tumor localization workflows, stereotactic or image-guidance codes may be used in conjunction with intraoperative ultrasound
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for vascular access	Not directly related; included only as an example of ultrasound guidance in the OR

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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CPT 76800: Intraoperative and Diagnostic Spinal Ultrasound

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 76800: Intraoperative and Diagnostic Spinal Ultrasound

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

References

CPT 76800: Intraoperative and Diagnostic Spinal Ultrasound

Sign up for cpt 76800 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

CPT 76800: Intraoperative and Diagnostic Spinal Ultrasound

Sign up for cpt 76800 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

What clinical situations does CPT 76800 cover?

Which modifiers are commonly used with CPT 76800 and when are they applied?

Are there related CPT codes that are often used with intraoperative spinal ultrasound?

Where is CPT 76800 typically performed?

Which specialties perform CPT 76800 and which payers are noted in the summary?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

What clinical situations does CPT 76800 cover?

Which modifiers are commonly used with CPT 76800 and when are they applied?

Are there related CPT codes that are often used with intraoperative spinal ultrasound?

Where is CPT 76800 typically performed?

Which specialties perform CPT 76800 and which payers are noted in the summary?

References