Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Which anesthesia code is best for a case that says the surgeon ligated from the upper leg down into the lower (37785, Ligation, division, and/or excision of recurrent or secondary varicose veins [clusters], one leg)?                      

Wisconsin Subscriber

Answer: The primary crosswalk code for 37785 is 01260 (Anesthesia for all procedures involving veins of upper leg, including exploration) for veins of the upper leg. Alternative codes include 01430 (Anesthesia for procedures on veins of knee and popliteal area; not otherwise specified) for the knee and popliteal area and 01520 (Anesthesia for procedures on veins of lower leg; not otherwise specified) for below the knee. Any of these codes is appropriate for the procedure described, and they're all 3 base units, so select the one you think is most appropriate.