August 2016 Q & A

Question: Embolization - 37241 for lymphatic malformation treatment

August 2015 Q & A

Question: Arterial Graft Segment on Dialysis Graft

What would the "arterial graft segment" be considered for a dialysis graft? Is this like the "arterial limb”, and is it considered venous for interventional purposes since it does not state it incorporates the arterial anastomosis?

October 2014 Q & A

Question: Venous Stent Placement During Thrombolytic Therapy

In the 2014 Interventional Radiology Coding Reference, page 196 example #2, there is a thrombolytic therapy procedure that ends with a venous stent placement. The venous stenting codes do not include the catheter placement, and according to the CPT manual, you should report those in addition to the stents (37238-37229). The example only has the 37238 and does not list a catheter placement CPT code. The thrombolytic catheter is removed and a new catheter for the stent placement is inserted. Other coding references have stated that if a new catheter is placed even from the same access, you would report the catheter placement for the intervention. Wouldn’t you report the venous catheter placement in this example? And if so, what code would you use?

July 2014 Q & A

Question: AV Fistula Arterial Angioplasty with Venous Stent

I was wondering what the coding protocol would be when we angioplasty the arterial anastomosis and place a stent in the graft venous outflow. Would one procedure override the other, as arterial angioplasty would be...