Advanced Search

Radiology Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Try Coding Embolization for Epistaxis

Published on Mon Apr 08, 2013

Question: Following transfemoral diagnostic cerebral angiography, how should I report Onyx embolization of the left internal maxillary artery and Embosphere embolization of the mid right internal maxillary artery for epistaxis?

Codify Member

Answer: For the embolization and radiological service, you should report the following codes:
  • 61626, Transcatheter permanent occlusion or embolization (e.g., for tumor destruction, to achieve hemostasis, to occlude a vascular malformation), percutaneous, any method; non-central nervous system, head or neck (extracranial, brachiocephalic branch)
  • 75894-26, Transcatheter therapy, embolization, any method, radiological supervision and interpretation; Professional component.


    • Experts advise reporting these codes only once for maxillary embolization related to epistaxis (nosebleed, nose hemorrhage) because the services are considered to take place in a single operative field.


    Remember: You should code the diagnostic angiography and selective catheter placement separately. You also may report follow-up angiography for embolization separately using 75898-26 (Angiography through existing catheter for follow-up study for transcatheter therapy, embolization or infusion, other than for thrombolysis).


    Diagnosis: The appropriate ICD-9 code is 784.7 (Epistaxis). The crosswalked ICD-10 code is R04.0 (Epistaxis).

Other Articles in this issue of

Radiology Coding Alert

View All