Anesthesia Coding Alert
Reader Question:
Biopsy/Ligation 37609 Crosses to 00352
Published on Tue Apr 22, 2014
Question: Our anesthesiologist provided MAC anesthesia for a patient’s surgery to complete a biopsy of the temporal artery. The surgeon’s diagnosis was 446.5 (Giant cell arteritis). What is the correct anesthesia code?
Indiana Subscriber
Answer: The surgeon probably reported 37609 (Ligation or biopsy, temporal artery) for the procedure you describe. If so, the corresponding anesthesia code is 00352 (Anesthesia for procedures on major vessels of neck; simple ligation). Note that CPT® directs you to report 01916 (Anesthesia for diagnostic arteriography/venography) if the anesthesiologist used arteriography.
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