Ask Dr. Z

I have a provider that performed an embolectomy of popliteal/tibia vessels with a vein patch (34203). Would you bill for the vein patch with a 35256 on top of the embolectomy 34203?

"We therefore elected to make an incision down in the distal calf overlying the posterior tibial artery after the gastroc muscle thinned out, identified the posterior tibial artery. It was soft. It was disease free, but was firm and hard with thrombus. Because of the size, we made a longitudinal arteriotomy with an 11 blade and a micro Potts scissors. We then passed a 2 Fogarty embolectomy catheter all the way down into the forefoot and were able to pull out a large amount of fresh and old thrombus. We then passed it proximally up to the popliteal artery and pulled it out and we were able to get good pulsatile flow now. Two more passes yielded no more thrombus. We were pleased with the result. We ossicles on the posterior tibial artery and then we splayed open the small vein that we had used and used that as a patch with 7-0 Prolene suture."