# Placement of temporary dialysis catheter



## southernbutterfli (Nov 20, 2012)

*Procedure: Placement of temporary dialysis catheter

Summary: Patient is massively obese, there is no way I can go through her groin. She has a Port-A-Cath in her left chest. On the right side she has an old Cordis catheter which was used to introduce a Swan-Ganz, so what I did was removed the suture and placed a wire through the Cordis and removed the Cordis. Then dilator was placed over the wire and the triple lumen dialysis catheter placed over the wire and the wire removed.*

Can someone help me with a CPT for this, please?


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## Lynda Wetter (Nov 20, 2012)

I would say 36569 BUT, there is no documentation of final placement, weather US was used and keep in mind 36569 is age based.
I dont like the skimpy dictation on this.


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## jewlz0879 (Nov 21, 2012)

I'm leaning towards 36556 since peripheral insertion usually includes basilic or cephalic insertion; the documentation is vague with respect to catheter tip/termination. 

CPT 36556 is placed into the large vein in the neck (internal jugular vein ), chest (subclavian vein or axillary vein) or groin (femoral vein). A non-tunneled central catheters called Quinton catheters are generally used for temporary access for dialysis or infusion of medicine when peripheral IV access is not possible. Non-tunneled catheters are percutaneously inserted for short-term (five to seven days) use; to infuse meds, fluids, blood products and parenteral nutrition; and to take blood draws.


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## Lynda Wetter (Dec 6, 2012)

I agree dictation is vauge when it comes to location, Periphrial or central.


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