You Be the Coder:
Where Is Crosswalk to 00563, not 00562?
Published on Thu Jan 08, 2009
Question: For a descending aortic aneurysm repair, my physician's notes read "Right posterolateral thoracotomy, replacement of the proximal descending thoracic aortic aneurysm using a 26-mm Vascutek Dacron interposition tube graft. Using the Vascutek graft as well as deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, cardiopulmonary bypass time was 110 minutes. Crossclamp time was 57 minutes. Circulatory arrest time was 24 minutes." I thought 33875 (Descending thoracic aorta graft) was most appropriate code, but it doesn't crosswalk to 00563 (25 units), only to 00562 (20 units). Is there a way to bill for the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) if the procedure code does not crosswalk to 00563? Maine Subscriber Answer: Code 00563 (Anesthesia for procedures on heart, pericardial sac, and great vessels of chest; with pump oxygenator with hypothermic circulatory arrest) is correct. The physician did a thoracic aneurysm repair (great vessel of the chest) on pump (bypass time 110 minutes) with hypothermic [...]
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