Ask Dr. Z

Can you elaborate on what constitutes a "basic" exam of the pulmonary arteries? Can a basic exam be performed non-selectively at the main artery (75746) first, and then performed selectively? Would you still then report code 75746 (non-selective artery from the main pulmonary) if a selective placement of one or more of the other pulmonary arteries are selected? Or is the non-selective artery bundled once a selective arteriogram is done? For example, say a non-selective was done at the main, and then just one side is done selectively at the left pulmonary artery. Could you give some examples? I'm looking in your book, and I'm not quite understanding the scenario of what constitutes a basic exam. Your book says the basic exam is a "bilateral pulmonary angiogram", but the vessels can be viewed selectively and non-selectively, so I guess that's what is tripping me up.