Urology Coding Alert

Question: How do I code for interventional radiology percutaneous ablation of a varicocele?

Florida Subscriber

Answer: There is a new 2014 CPT® code for this procedure. You should report 37241 (Vascular embolization or occlusion, inclusive of all radiological supervision and interpretation, intraprocedural road mapping, and imaging guidance necessary to complete the intervention; venous, other than hemorrhage [eg, congenital or acquired venous malformations, venous and capillary hemangiomas, varices, varicoceles]). 

CPT® 2014 replaced 37204 (Transcatheter occlusion or embolization [e.g., for tumor destruction, to achieve hemostasis, to occlude a vascular malformation], percutaneous, any method, non-central nervous system, non-head or neck), as well as 37210 (Uterine fibroid embolization [UFE, embolization of the uterine arteries to treat uterine fibroids, leiomyomata], percutaneous approach inclusive of vascular access, vessel selection, embolization, and all radiological supervision and interpretation, intraprocedural roadmapping, and imaging guidance necessary to complete the procedure) with four new codes:

• Venous (other than hemorrhage): 37241
• Arterial (other than hemorrhage or tumor): 37242, … arterial, other than hemorrhage or tumor (e.g., congenital or acquired arterial malformations, arteriovenous malformations, arteriovenous fistulas, aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms)
• Tumors, organ ischemia, infarction: 37243, … for tumors, organ ischemia, or infarction
• Hemorrhage, extravasation: 37244, … for arterial or venous hemorrhage or lymphatic extravasation.

Each code includes the embolization or occlusion as well as all radiological services needed to complete the service. As a result, you should not report a separate radiology code, such as 75894 (Transcatheter therapy, embolization, any method, radiological supervision and interpretation). However, diagnostic angiography and catheter placement is separately reportable, if performed.