CPT 2011:
49324, 49418-49422: 5 Tips Clarify Revised Intraperitoneal Catheter Coding
Published on Thu Feb 17, 2011
New options replace 49420 for tunneled catheter.Choosing an intraperitoneal catheter insertion used to mean deciding between "permanent" and "temporary" -- but CPT 2011 changes all that. Now you'll need to know if the procedure is open, laparoscopic, or percutaneous in order to choose the proper code. Follow our experts' four tips to capture all the pay you deserve by properly maneuvering the following new and revised codes for intraperitoneal catheters:49324 (revised) -- Laparoscopy, surgical; with insertion of tunneled intraperitoneal catheter49418 (new) -- Insertion of tunneled intraperitoneal catheter (e.g., dialysis, intraperitoneal chemotherapy instillation, management of ascites), complete procedure, including imaging guidance, catheter placement, contrast injection when performed, and radiological supervision and interpretation, percutaneous49419 (revised) -- Insertion of tunneled intraperitoneal catheter, with subcutaneous port (i.e., totally implantable)49421 (revised) -- Insertion of tunneled intraperitoneal catheter for dialysis, open49422 (revised) -- Removal of tunneled intraperitoneal catheter.1. Drop 'Permanent' for 'Tunneled'CPT 2011 gives a facelift to coding for intraperitoneal catheters used [...]