Infected Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

Question:

Could KZA help me with an orthopedic surgery coding question? Thank you in advance. What code should be used if the provider performed irrigation and debridement with polyethylene exchange in an infected total shoulder?

Answer:

Thank you for your question. Without reviewing the operative note, KZA cannot address a specific case but can help you with general guidelines.

CPT Assistant from September 2021 addresses scenarios for revision arthroplasty. These scenarios are for the hip and knee but are relevant to all other joint arthroplasty procedures, and the same logic is applied to joints outside of the hip and knee.

If there is an exchange of a component in a TJA, CPT Assistant September 2021 guidelines state “when only a single modular component is revised report the single component with modifier 52. Therefore, based on your question, (not reviewing the operative note), it is appropriate to code for a single component revision of (23473) appending modifier 52, Reduced Services.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 8/28/25.