READER QUESTION ~ Use 00566 Only for Non-Pump CABG
Published on Tue Jan 16, 2007
Question: When should I report 00566 for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures instead of 00562?
Montana Subscriber
Answer: Most physicians use the pump oxygenator during CABG cases, which means you report 00562 (Anesthesia for procedures on heart, pericardial sac, and great vessels of chest; with pump oxygenator). But some physicians are opting to complete the procedure without the pump oxygenator (usually when the procedure is a single or double bypass), which means you report 00566 (Anesthesia for direct coronary artery bypass grafting without pump oxygenator).
Your anesthesiologist's notes should always indicate whether he uses the pump oxygenator, especially when he completes the procedure off-pump. Be sure he understands the importance of clear documentation, especially in cases like this when the off-pump code has five more base units than the on-pump code.
