Cardiology Coding Alert

But watch out: Steer clear of this angioplasty pitfall. Choosing the proper endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair code isn't the end of the coding story for these procedures. Use the tips below to identify all separately reportable services, including radiologic supervision and interpretation (S&I), catheterization, and others. ID Area Before Adding Angioplasty Code You should not report balloon angioplasty or stent deployment within the target treatment zone along with primary AAA endovascular repair codes 34800-34805,according to CPT guidelines. The cardiologist may use angioplasty to inflate, and a stent to help anchor, the prosthesis after placing it, for example. The AMA has designed 34800-34805 to include these services. But CPT guidelines confirm that when the cardiologist must perform interventional procedures in a separate area, you may report them as distinct from the AAA repair. As examples, CPT guidelines indicate these include: • Renal transluminal angioplasty • Arterial embolization • Intravascular [...]