Reader Questions:
It's OK to Change EVLT Code
Published on Thu Sep 09, 2004
Question: Our physician performed anesthesia during endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) on the lower leg. The surgeon reported CPT 37799 (Unlisted procedure, vascular surgery), but I'm unsure of the anesthesia code.
Oklahoma Subscriber Answer: Surgical code 37799 crosses to the 10-unit anesthesia code 00350 (Anesthesia for procedures on major vessels of neck; not otherwise specified). However, you won't report this because the physician treated the patient's lower leg, not the neck. Report 01520 (Anesthesia for procedures on veins of lower leg; not otherwise specified) instead. This is only a 3-unit procedure, but is a much more accurate code. Remember that the Crosswalk gives us a lot of good information regarding appropriate anesthesia codes, but it's OK to report something other than the Crosswalk code if it fits the situation better.
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