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N578
N578 – Dorsal root entry zone lesions for pain relief
OHIP Otolaryngology Code — SPINAL SURGICAL PROCEDURES · Schedule of Benefits
Performs dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesioning for pain relief, covering any number of levels. This service is subject to specific billing restrictions and cannot be paid with any other service listed in the Spinal Surgical Procedures section, as detailed on page of the Schedule. The fee for an assistant is calculated using 8 basic units, and for an anaesthesiologist, it is based on 10 basic units, plus applicable time units.
When to Use
- Use N578 for the surgical destruction of the dorsal root entry zone to manage intractable neuropathic pain, such as brachial plexus avulsion or post-herpetic neuralgia.
- Select N578 when performing DREZ lesioning regardless of the number of spinal levels involved, as the fee is inclusive of the entire procedure.
Common Pitfalls
- Attempting to bill N578 in combination with other spinal surgical procedures will result in automatic rejection, as it is strictly prohibited by the Schedule.
- Billing N578 alongside N577 is a direct violation of the billing restrictions, as both codes are mutually exclusive within the Spinal Surgical Procedures section.
Billing Tips
- Ensure the anaesthesiologist includes the appropriate E-series add-on codes (e.g., E011C for prone positioning) to maximize the total anaesthesia units, as N578 itself is a flat-fee surgical code.
Provider Fee$1,020.00
Surgical Assistant Fee$100.08
Anaesthetist Fee$154.90
Non-Anaesthetist Fee$154.90
Effective: April 1, 2025
Category
Z. Spinal Surgical Procedures
Subcategory
SPINAL SURGICAL PROCEDURES
Service Type
Surgical
Code Classes
Spinal Surgical Procedures
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