Stop Using These Transcatheter Stent Placement and Category III Codes

Brace up for new AAA codes, Category I codes, and Retrograde Stent Placement Code.

January 2014 is here and like every year, it’s time for general surgery coders to get their coding acts together. CPT® 2014 brings eight new codes for reporting abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair using fenestrated endoprosthesis. Your general and vascular surgeons will see deleted and added codes that you need to know about to code these procedures correctly.

Read on to get the scoop so you know how to code correctly this year:

• Category III Codes Make Their Way Out

In 2013, you used separate Category III codes to report the surgical component and the radiological component of FEVAR procedures. The primary codes were used for the initial prosthesis placement and the add-on codes for the extension prosthesis in each visceral branch as follows: 0078T, +0079T, 0080T, and +0081T. However, this year you’ll not find these codes in the CPT® 2014 manual.

• Welcome New Category 1 Codes

The Category 1 Codes have a different structure than Category III codes. This year you will have to use these codes: 34841, 34842, 34843, 34844, 34846, 34847, and 34848. Moreover, you’ll also have new guidelines and instructions to help you code these services.

• Forget These Transcatheter Stent Placement Codes

These five transcatherer stent placement codes 37205, +37206, 37207, +37208, and 75960 have been deleted this year and in their place, you will have to use these codes: 37236, +37237 (use with 37236), 37238, +37239 (use with 37238).

• Welcome Retrograde Stent Placement

 You’ll find a new code – 37217 – to report transcatheter stent placement in either the intrathoracic common carotid artery or innominate artery using an open cervical carotid approach. A key feature of this code is that it is specific to retrograde treatment, meaning going against the flow of blood in the vessel. Any angioplasty or radiological guidance required for the service is also covered.

• Count Aorta Sections and Visceral Endoprostheses

In order to use the new codes correctly, make sure there are two important pieces of information in the surgical report. You’ll need to identify the aorta section involved in the procedure as well as the number of endoprostheses from the op report.

Visceral Aorta: Codes 34841-34844 refer to only the visceral portion of the aorta.

Visceral Aorta and Infrarenal Abdominal Aorta:  When both the visceral and infrarenal abdominal areas of the aorta are involved, use codes 34845-34848.

Source: http://blog.supercoder.com/career-coach/cpt-2014-updates-for-general-surgery-stop-using-these-transcatheter-stent-placement-and-category-iii-codes/