Reader Question:
Complexity Marks Thoracic Anesthesia Codes
Published on Wed Oct 10, 2007
Question: Four anesthesia codes describe anesthesia for procedures on the thoracic spine and cord -- 00620, 00622, 00625 and 00626. How do they differ from each other? Louisiana Subscriber Answer: The primary difference is the level of detail in what the codes describe. Longstanding CPT codes 00620 (Anesthesia for procedures on thoracic spine and cord; not otherwise specified) and 00622 (... thoracolumbar sympathectomy) don't represent the additional factors involved when the physician uses an anterior thoracic approach to enter the patient's thoracic cavity. On the other hand, new codes 00625 (Anesthesia for procedures on the thoracic spine and cord, via an anterior transthoracic approach; not utilizing one lung ventilation) and 00626 (... utilizing one lung ventilation) take these extra complexities into account.
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