Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: My cardiologist made a small incision through the patient’s skin to puncture the blocked artery. They then introduced a guidewire through the opening and used it to introduce the catheter. My cardiologist used arteriography as an imaging guidance, and with the guidewire, they introduced a stent-delivering catheter into the artery, advancing it to the site of occlusion. They then placed the stent at the site of occlusion and expanded it against the wall of the lumen to increase the diameter of the vessel. My cardiologist confirmed the stent position via angiography. Lastly, they withdrew the catheter and sutured the site of the incision in the blood vessel. How should I report this claim?

Alabama Subscriber

Answer: You should report 37221 (Revascularization, endovascular, open or percutaneous, iliac artery, unilateral, initial vessel; with transluminal stent placement(s), includes angioplasty within the same vessel, when performed).

Coding tip: Report 37221 when the cardiologist performs this procedure on an initial vessel. Code 37221 includes the angioplasty within the same vessel when the cardiologist performs it.

Don’t miss: Report +37222 (Revascularization, endovascular, open or percutaneous, iliac artery, each additional ipsilateral iliac vessel; with transluminal angioplasty (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)) in conjunction with 37221 when your cardiologist restores the blood supply in each additional stenosed ipsilateral unilateral iliac artery through an endovascular, open, or percutaneous approach with transluminal angioplasty.

Report +37223 (… with transluminal stent placement(s), includes angioplasty within the same vessel, when performed (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)) in conjunction with 37221 when your cardiologist restores the blood supply in each additional stenosed unilateral initial iliac artery through endovascular, open, or percutaneous approach with transluminal stent placement. They may also perform an angioplasty within the same vessel during this procedure.