Question:
Can an endarterectomy be coded separately?
Answer:
The CPT® manual index lists two types of endarterectomies: coronary artery and pulmonary.
+33572 | Coronary endarterectomy, open, any method, of left anterior descending, circumflex, or right coronary artery performed in conjunction with coronary atery bypass graft procedure, each vessel (List separately in addition to primary procedure) |
33916 | Pulmonary endarterectomy, with or without embolectomy, with cardiopulmonary bypass |
If you are talking about a coronary endarterectomy, you can see by its descriptor that it is only an add-on code. The parenthetical note following the code indicates that the may be used in conjunction with 33510–33516, and 33533–33536.
CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.