Cardiology Coding Alert

Question:

Florida Subscriber

Look to +92973 (Percutaneous transluminal coronary thrombectomy [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) for the procedure you describe.

Remember: The "+" in front of the code indicates it's an add-on code, which means you must report it in addition to another code. In this case, CPT instructs you to report +92973 in addition to 92980 (Transcatheter placement of an intracoronary stent[s], percutaneous, with or without other therapeutic intervention, any method; single vessel) or 92982 (Percutaneous transluminal coronary balloon angioplasty; single vessel). Choose the appropriate primary procedure code based on your documentation.

Pronto: Cardiologists use Pronto (by Vascular Solutions Inc.) as a mechanical thrombectomy device. The procedure involves inserting a catheter into the vessel with the blood clot, breaking up the clot, and essentially vacuuming the pieces out of the vessel.

Bonus tip: To capture the thrombectomy procedure appropriately the physician must document the thrombus/clot was removed from the body. If documentation doesn't state the thrombus/clot was removed from the body, then the procedure was not completed and you should not code it.