Wiki Cabg-I'm coding CABG's

nyyankees

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I'm coding CABG's and ma having a hard time figuring these out. How do I know how many CABG's and how many grafts. Does it take 1 anamostosis to make 1 CABG? Any sites that could help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
There are a few different codes for the CABGs. Take a look at 33510-33536. I also answered this under "Cardiology" with more specific examples.

HTH
 
CABG coding rules
Here are the codes:
33510-33516 Venous only
33533-33536 Arterial with or without veins
+33517-33523 venous add on codes to be used with 33533-33536 for combined A-V grafting.
Here are the Rules:
33510-33536 are used based on type of bypass graft and the number of coronary arteries bypassed.
Types of vessels (harvesting them is usually global to the procedure) used for graft: saphenous vein, left internal mammary (LIMA), upper extremity vein (can bill for that one-35500), or femoropopliteal vein (can bill for that one-35572).
Venous grafts codes 33510-33516 are for venous by pass only. They would never be reported with 33533-33536, that is an arterial by pass code. If arteries and veins used together, then use arterial by pass codes and add on codes +33517 - +33523 for the veins.
Add-on codes A-V codes +33517 - +33523 are never used alone. They represent the venous graft in the combined arterial-venous CABG procedures are can be used with 33533-33536.
To determine the number of bypass grafts in a CABG, count the number of distal anastomoses, where the bypass graft artery or vein is sutured to the coronary artery.
If any of the veins are harvest endoscopy use add on code +33508

An example is a LIMA grafted to the ramus, diagonal and LAD arteries and a saphenous vein grafted to the circumflex and the obtuse marginal would be coded 33535 and 33518.
Another example is a saphenous vein grafted to the ramus, diagonal, LAD, circumflex and the obtuse marginal would be coded 33514.
Last example is a saphenous vein grafted to the ramus and then a free Lima from the saphenous graft to the circumflex would be coded 33533 and 33517.
 
Cabg question

If you have a LIMA to LAD, then a radial graft from ascending aorta to posterior descending aorta continuing to posterior lateral branch, would that be 33534 or 33535? Since it "continues" to posterior lateral branch, does that also count as one bypass?

Then I have a saphenous vein graft from ascending aorta to diagonal, continuing to obtuse marginal. Does that count as 1 or 2? It's the "continuing" that confuses me. I don't know whether to count it as one bypass or two.

Any clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Christie
 
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