# Cardiac Surgery



## AMYE021 (Jan 14, 2008)

OK, I have only been coding cardiac surgery for a little less than a year now, but one question was posed to me by one of our physicians.  In codes 33254 to 33259 CPT refers to "and reconstruction of the atria".  My physicians are interested in exactly what this means.  Initially I thought that it may be the reapproximation of tissues and the closing of the incision made to access the atria.  Now I am not so sure and am wondering if anyone has any ideas... 
Thanks!


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## MLS2 (Jul 30, 2008)

My understanding is that the reconstruction of the atria would be the incisions that are made to form the "maze" that enables the electrical impulses to go from the SA node to the AV node which in turn  stops the heart from fibrillating.


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