Ask Dr. Z

For the following should we report 35876 alone or with 35883? "I passed a 4 Fogarty catheter distally through the graft to thrombectomize the graft. I also was able to pass a 3 Fogarty catheter distally in its entirety into the tibial level vessels. Thrombectomy was performed until there was no residual thrombus removed. I did extend out onto the graft, and in this area, there was what appeared to be extensive intimal hyperplasia, which was all resected sharply. A Freer elevator was used to perform a thromboendarterectomy of the laminated thrombus and some pseudo-intima. A 3 Fogarty catheter was passed into the profunda femoral artery to thrombectomize this vessel. There was some moderate stenosis of the region of the distal anastomosis, therefore a Glidewire was placed, and then a 4 mm balloon was then utilized to perform angioplasty in this region with a satisfactory result. A bovine pericardial patch that had been brought out onto the field and prepared was then used for patch closure from the proximal portion of the graft and onto the common femoral artery with a 5-0 Prolene suture in a running continuous fashion."