Anesthesia Coding Alert
Transected Axillary Artery
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).
Anesthesia Coding Alert
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Modifier -59
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Exam Before Fluoroscopy
Question: One of our pain management physicians performed an exam of a patients extremely painful [...] - Reader Question:
Conscious Sedation
Question: I know we can charge for conscious sedation (99141) in addition to gastrointestinal procedures. [...] - Reader Question:
IV Access
Question: What supporting diagnosis should be used for IV access by an anesthesiologist?
Maryland Subscriber
Answer: [...] - Reader Question:
Endoscopic Resection
Question: How should I code for anesthesia during a procedure that was diagnosed as left [...] - Reader Question:
Catheter Placement
Question: Can I bill separately for a catheter placed by the medically directing anesthesiologist for [...] - Reader Question:
Jejunostomy Tube Removal
Question: Is there a way to code for the removal of a jejunostomy tube that [...] - Reader Question:
Transected Axillary Artery
Question: What is the correct anesthesia code for the repair of a transected axillary artery [...] - Reader Question:
Different Anesthesiologists During Delivery
Question: How should we code if one anesthesiologist begins a labor epidural and another one [...] - Reader Question:
Myoblock
Question: Which code should be used to report Myoblock (botulinum toxin type B) for chemodenervation? [...] - Reader Question:
Vertobroplasty
Question: The crosswalk code for 22520 (percutaneous vertebroplasty, one vertebral body, unilateral or bilateral injection; [...] - Reader Question:
Numbing Before Anesthesia
Question: Our anesthesiologist uses xylocaine to numb the area before administering the drug for trigger-point [...] - Reader Question:
Highest Specificity, or Match Exactly?
Question: Should a patient's diagnosis be coded to the highest level of specificity, or to [...]
