Please note this question was answered in 2018. The coding advice may or may not be outdated.
Minimally invasive CABG
Question:
Would this be reported with code 33533 or an unlisted code? "LEFT ANTERIOR THORACOTOMY INCISION; MINIMALLY INVASIVE DIRECT CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS X1; LEFT INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERY BYPASS TO LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING ARTERY. The patient was sterilely prepped and draped, and a small incision was made just over the left nipple. The muscle was divided, and I entered the thoracic cavity. The double-lumen tube was used to selectively ventilate the right lung in the left lung collapsed nicely. I then dissected out the left internal mammary artery in a skeletonized fashion using the LIMA left device. I dissected this up to the 1st rib. Heparin was given, and this was clipped distally and transected. I then placed the off pump retractor and opened up a pericardium placed stay sutures. The LAD was dissected and opened in its midportion with a proximal silastic snare and a 2 millimeter shunt placed. The snare was removed. The left mammary was anastomosed using running 7-0 Prolene, removing the the shunt just prior to completing the anastomosis."
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