Wiki Placement of defibrillator coils

[GIBBERS]

Has anyone coded this? Placement of anterior and posterior (AICD)defibrillator coils....
incision was made over the generator pocket and the generator was removed. small incision was made along the mid axillary line way below the previous incision. via this incision, a posterior coil was placed via a tunneler. This was done blindly but was felt on palpatation to go to just before the spine. The coil was then secured in this incision to the deep chest wall muscle. Another counterincision was made bringing this coil anteriorly. Through this incision, the coil was brought into the original generator pocket. the coil was attached.

 

[lisigirl]

My surgeon placed a subcutaneous coil once and when I couldn't find a code for it, he suggested I ask our EP coder. This is what she said, "I have a 2009 coding strategies book from the AMA on Heart Rhythm Procedures, which says that there is no current CPT code that describes an insertion of a subcutaneous electrode - it instructs us to use unlisted code 33999."

Not sure if that is helpful or not. Sorry.

Lisi, CPC

 

[GIBBERS]

Thanks for your help!