2025 CPT code 33990
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Cardiovascular System Feed
Insertion of ventricular assist device, percutaneous, including radiological supervision and interpretation; left heart, arterial access only.
Modifiers may be applicable in specific circumstances, such as distinct procedural services (modifier 59).
Medical necessity for this procedure must be clearly documented and should indicate why the patient requires a VAD, the specific type of VAD chosen, and the rationale for percutaneous insertion.
The physician is responsible for prepping and anesthetizing the patient, making the incision, inserting and positioning the catheter and VAD under radiological guidance, ensuring proper device function, closing the incision, and post-operative care.
In simple words: The doctor inserts a heart pump through a small cut in a leg artery. This pump helps the heart move blood to the rest of the body.X-rays are used to guide the procedure.
This code describes a procedure where a ventricular assist device (VAD) is inserted percutaneously into the left heart, using arterial access.The procedure includes radiological supervision and interpretation. The VAD is a mechanical pump that assists the heart in pumping blood, typically used in cases of heart failure or while awaiting a heart transplant.This approach involves accessing the heart through an artery, often the femoral artery, using a catheter under radiological guidance to position and attach the VAD.
Example 1: A patient with end-stage heart failure is not a candidate for a heart transplant and requires a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for long-term support.The physician percutaneously inserts an LVAD via the femoral artery, using radiological guidance to position the device within the left ventricle. , A patient experiences cardiogenic shock after a severe heart attack. The physician inserts a percutaneous VAD to provide temporary support to the left ventricle while other interventions are performed, such as angioplasty or stenting., A patient awaiting a heart transplant requires temporary circulatory support.The physician inserts a percutaneous VAD through the femoral artery to assist the left ventricle until a donor heart becomes available.
Documentation should include details of the patient's heart condition, the type of VAD inserted, the access site used, radiological images, intraoperative details, and any complications encountered.
- Revenue Code: P2F - Major Procedure, Cardiovascular - Other
- Payment Status: Active
- Specialties:Cardiothoracic Surgery, Interventional Cardiology
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center