Radiology Coding Alert

Answer: You report the angioplasty using 35476 (Transluminal balloon angioplasty, percutaneous; venous) and 75978 (Transluminal balloon angioplasty, venous [e.g., subclavian stenosis], radiological supervision and interpretation). If you’re reporting only your physician’s services, add modifier 26 (Professional component) to 75978. For catheter insertion in the inferior vena cava, you report 36010 (Introduction of catheter, superior or inferior vena cava) provided your physician did the catheter insertion for the procedure. 

 

The definitive code for the inferior vena cava mechanical vacuum thrombectomy is 37187 (Percutaneous transluminal mechanical thrombectomy, vein[s], including intraprocedural pharmacological thrombolytic injections and fluoroscopic guidance). This code is inclusive of the fluoroscopic guidance needed for the thrombolytic injections. 

 

Multiple codes: You can report multiple codes in this situation depending upon what services your physician actually provided. CPT® guidelines state, “Code(s) for catheter placement(s), diagnostic studies, and other percutaneous interventions (e.g., transluminal balloon angioplasty, stent placement) provided are separately reportable.”