Items Tagged: graft



ZHealth Coding Newsletter - August 2017

August 2017 Q & A

Question: Repair of EVAR with Deployment of 2 Gore Excluder Limbs

This patient developed a type III endoleak due to component separation of the left iliac limb from a prior EVAR. To repair this, our physicians first used an Excluder limb across both graft defects followed by a second Excluder limb in the patient's iliac, to bridge the separation of components. I would normally code this with 34825, 75953.

However, I am not sure how to code for a second graft in this case or if I can code for it at all because I am not positive that the second graft is considered a separate vessel and qualifies for the 34826. There is no mention of it being placed in either the external or internal iliac.


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ZHealth Coding Newsletter - April 2016

April 2016 Q & A

Question: Popliteal Aneurysm

We are looking for a code for popliteal aneurysm (37236?). This is what one of our physicians said: "34900 code is an aneurysm procedure code, and although specifies iliac it is far more reflective of the procedure type and work, including large sheath placement that is involved with popliteal aneurysm repair. In fact the 2 procedures are almost identical except one is done at a more distal location." What code do you suggest we use for popliteal aneurysm and why?

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ZHealth Coding Newsletter - July 2015

July 2015 Q & A

Question: 2 Infusion Catheters, 2 Graft Punctures for Access of the Same Leg

The patient has a left femoral to below-knee popliteal artery bypass graft and a left abandoned bypass graft. A micropuncture needle was advanced in a midline retrograde fashion and a sheath placed. A pelvic angiogram shows occlusion of the bypass graft and a 10 cm infusion Cragg-McNamara infusion catheter is placed and positioned across the proximal arterial anastomosis. Then under direct ultrasound guidance, a micropuncture needle was advanced into the proximal graft in an antegrade fashion, then a sheath was placed, followed by lower extremity angiography.

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