Ask Dr. Z

One of my physicians did an MAA mapping procedure where he utilized a Trinav catheter (HCPCS code C1982) to temporarily occlude a vessel. To be specific this patient had abnormal anatomy with a replaced left hepatic from a gastric artery directly off the aorta. I’m being asked to place 37242 on the MAA mapping procedure for the temporary occlusion created by the catheter in the replaced left hepatic artery. When the patient was brought back on a later date the Y-90 treatment was performed on three branches of this replaced left hepatic. Can we utilize the embolization code 37242 for the temporary occlusion created by the catheter on the day of MAA mapping of the same vessel that is going to be occluded later on with the Y-90 treatment? I was under the impression that prophylactic embolization was to cut off flow to other sources other than the source the physician will be embolizing for the Y-90 treatment.