General Surgery Coding Alert
Drill Down to Details for Central Line Coding
Question: The surgeon inserted a central line with a subcutaneous port in the jugular vein for a 4-year-old patient. The op report describes placing a long catheter under the skin between the external access site and the vein, and also mentions securing the catheter with a subcutaneous cuff. How should we code this case? Kentucky Subscriber Answer: The correct code for this case is 36560 (Insertion of tunneled centrally inserted central venous access device, with subcutaneous port; younger than 5 years of age). Several details mentioned in your question lead to this code choice. Tunneled: Although you don’t mention the term “tunneled,” the description of the procedure fits that process. The report describes inserting the long catheter under the skin between the external access and the vein, and securing the catheter with a subcutaneous cuff. Port: You described a subcutaneous port, which rules out any central line codes without mention of a port or with a pump. Age: The patient is younger than five years of age, eliminating similar code 36561 (… age 5 years or older).
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