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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Transected Axillary Artery

Published on Mon Oct 01, 2001

Question: What is the correct anesthesia code for the repair of a transected axillary artery caused by a crushing injury to the shoulder?
      
Texas Subscriber
  
 Answer: The proper anesthesia code depends on how the procedure was performed. Use 35206 (repair blood vessel, direct; upper extremity) for 01782 (anesthesia for procedures on veins of upper arm and elbow; phleborrhaphy). Code 01770 (anesthesia for procedures on arteries of upper arm and elbow; not otherwise specified) is used for surgical code 35236 (... with vein graft; upper extremity) or 35266 (... with graft other than vein; upper extremity). Some carriers allow the surgeon to use 35459 (transluminal balloon angioplasty, open; tibioperoneal trunk and branches), which translates to anesthesia code 01650 (anesthesia for procedures on arteries of shoulder and axilla; not otherwise specified).
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