2025 CPT code 36012
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Cardiovascular Surgery - Selective Catheter Placement Surgery Feed
Selective catheter placement in a venous system; second-order or more selective branch (e.g., left adrenal vein, petrosal sinus).
Modifiers may be applicable depending on the circumstances of the procedure. Examples include modifiers for bilateral procedures, multiple procedures, or assistant surgeon involvement. Consult CPT guidelines and NCCI edits.
Medical necessity is determined by the clinical indication for the procedure.This could include diagnosis and treatment of venous thrombosis, delivery of targeted medications, assessment of venous malformations, or other clinically significant conditions requiring selective venous access.
The physician is responsible for all aspects of the procedure, including patient preparation, catheter insertion, navigation to the target vein, and any therapeutic interventions.
In simple words: The doctor inserts a thin tube (catheter) into a vein, carefully guiding it to a specific smaller vein branch to diagnose or treat a medical problem. This might involve giving medicine or taking samples.
This CPT code, 36012, represents the selective placement of a catheter into a second-order or more selective branch within the venous system.This procedure involves accessing a vein (often via femoral or jugular vein), advancing the catheter into a secondary branch (e.g., left adrenal vein, petrosal sinus), and may include diagnostic or therapeutic interventions such as medication administration or sample collection. The code encompasses the entire procedure, from initial access to the final catheter placement in the target vessel.It is crucial to accurately identify the order of the selected branch to ensure appropriate coding.
Example 1: A patient presents with suspected adrenal vein thrombosis. The physician performs a selective venous catheterization, accessing the femoral vein and advancing the catheter to the left adrenal vein for venography and potential thrombolysis., A patient requires medication delivery to the petrosal sinus for the treatment of a specific neurological condition. The physician accesses the internal jugular vein and selectively places a catheter into the petrosal sinus for targeted drug administration., During a workup for a suspected venous malformation, the physician accesses the femoral vein and performs a selective catheterization of multiple second and third order branches of the venous system for detailed imaging and assessment. This involves the careful navigation of the catheter and the creation of detailed vascular maps.
Detailed operative notes including access site, approach to the target vein, catheter placement confirmation (e.g., fluoroscopy, angiography), any therapeutic interventions performed, and volume of any contrast or medication administered. Preoperative and postoperative imaging may also be required.
** Accurate documentation of the specific venous branch accessed is critical for correct code assignment.This code should not be used for non-selective venous catheterizations. If multiple selective catheterizations to different vascular families are performed, each should be reported separately.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: The technical component (TC) modifier would not typically apply to this code unless a portion of the procedure is performed by a different individual.Consult local billing guidelines and payer requirements.
- Fee Schedule: Refer to historical CPT fee schedules and local payer reimbursement rates for historical fee data.
- Specialties:Interventional Radiology, Vascular Surgery
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center