Cardiology Coding Alert

New information stresses a 'mechanical' requirement for the thrombectomy code. If you've been using coronary thrombectomy code + CPT 92973 to report a variety of methods, take heed. Thrombectomy by aspiration catheter is included in the intervention, according to the American Medical Association (AMA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC). Take a Closer Look at +92973 The code under discussion is +92973 (Percutaneous transluminal coronary thrombectomy [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]). For years, many resources have based their coding recommendations on the plain face of the definition of +92973. If you read the descriptor, you'll see that it "does not specify anything other than 'Percutaneous transluminal coronary thrombectomy,'" says Theresa Dix, CCS-P, CCP, CPMA, CCC, certified medical coder and auditor with East Tennessee Heart Consultants, MPS Cardiology. As a result, a common recommendation has been that you may assign +92973 for a variety of methods used [...]