You Be the Coder:
Double the Stent, Double the Fee
Published on Wed Nov 23, 2005
Question: How would you code for stent placement in peroneal? The cardiologist also placed a stent in the popliteal artery.
California Subscriber
Answer: You will first need to accurately identify and code for your selective catheter placement. You should code the catheterization of the peroneal artery from either an ipsilateral common femoral access site or a contralateral access site as 36247 (Selective catheter placement, arterial system; initial third order or more selective abdominal, pelvic, or lower extremity artery branch, within a vascular family). This would be the most selective catheter placement during the procedure and the only catheter placement code supported. You will not be able to separately report the catheter placement necessary for the popliteal procedure.
Assuming your cardiologist planned interventions following a diagnostic study, you should not re-bill for diagnostic imaging.
In addition, you should report 37205 (Transcatheter placement of an intravascular stent[s], [except coronary, carotid, and vertebral vessel], percutaneous; initial vessel) and 75960-26 (Transcatheter introduction of intravascular stent[s] [except coronary, carotid, and vertebral vessel], percutaneous and/or open, radiological supervision and interpretation, each vessel; professional component) for the peroneal as well as +37206 (... each additional vessel [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) and a second +75960-26 for the stent placement in the popliteal artery.
