2025 CPT code 01740
Effective Date: N/A Anesthesia - Procedures on the Upper Arm and Elbow Feed
Anesthesia for open or surgical arthroscopic procedures of the elbow.
Modifiers are applicable. Refer to current CPT guidelines and payer-specific requirements.
Medical necessity for anesthesia services is established by the need for pain control and/or sedation during the surgical or arthroscopic procedure on the elbow.
The anesthesiologist performs a pre-operative evaluation, induces anesthesia, monitors the patient during the procedure (including medication administration, monitoring, and patient response), and oversees post-anesthesia care. Anesthesia time is calculated from preparation in the operating room until responsibility is transferred for post-operative care. Documentation includes total anesthesia time, types and amounts of medications, monitoring methods, and patient responses.
In simple words: The doctor provides anesthesia for surgery or arthroscopy of your elbow, including checking you before and after the operation, giving you medicine during the procedure, and watching your heart rate, breathing, and other vital signs.
Anesthesia services for open or surgical arthroscopic procedures of the elbow. This includes pre- and post-operative evaluation, intraoperative care, administration of fluids/blood, and standard monitoring (ECG, temperature, blood pressure, oximetry, capnography, and mass spectrometry). It does not include unusual forms of monitoring like Swan-Ganz catheters, intra-arterial lines, or central venous lines, which can be coded separately.
Example 1: A patient undergoes open surgery for elbow fracture repair. Code 01740 is used for the anesthesia services provided., A patient undergoes arthroscopic debridement of the elbow joint. Code 01740 is used for the anesthesia services., A patient has a surgical procedure to remove a loose body in the elbow joint. 01740 is reported for the anesthesia services.
Documentation should include pre- and post-operative evaluations, types and amounts of medications administered, monitoring methods used, patient responses, and start and stop times of anesthesia care. Total anesthesia time should be clearly documented. Unusual forms of monitoring, if used, should be separately documented for potential additional coding.
** For multiple anesthesia services during the same encounter, use the most complex code with the highest base unit value and bill the combined anesthesia time. Qualifying circumstances codes (e.g., 99100, 99116) may be applicable for complex cases. Physical status modifiers (P1-P6) should be appended by the anesthesiologist to describe the patient’s health status. HCPCS modifiers may be required by payers (refer to payer guidelines.)
- Revenue Code: P0 - ANESTHESIA
- RVU: Check with your local Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for the most up-to-date RVU information as these values can change. As of 2022-08-03, the rate was $362.68.
- Modifier TC rule: Modifier TC might be applicable if another provider performs a portion of the service. Check current payer-specific rules and guidelines for correct application.
- Specialties:Anesthesiology
- Place of Service: Ambulatory Surgical Center, Inpatient Hospital, On Campus-Outpatient Hospital