2025 CPT code 44136
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Digestive System Feed
Intestinal allotransplantation from a living donor.
Modifiers may be applicable depending on specific circumstances. For example, modifier 52 may be used for reduced services.
Medical necessity should be established by documenting the recipient's condition, the failure of other treatments, and the rationale for intestinal transplantation as the only viable option.
The physician is responsible for the entire surgical process, including pre-operative evaluation, harvesting the donor intestine, preparing the graft, performing the transplantation, and post-operative care.
In simple words: A section of small intestine from a living donor is used to replace a diseased section of the recipient's small intestine. The surgeon removes the diseased part and connects the healthy ends to the donor's intestine.
This procedure involves transplanting a portion of the small intestine from a living donor to a recipient. The affected portion of the recipient's small bowel is removed, and the donor intestine is surgically connected to the remaining healthy sections of the recipient's intestine. This complex procedure includes the harvesting of the intestine from the living donor, preparing the donor intestine for transplantation, and the transplantation itself into the recipient.
Example 1: A patient with Crohn's disease causing severe intestinal damage requires a small bowel transplant from a living donor., A patient with short bowel syndrome resulting from multiple resections requires an intestinal transplant to restore normal digestive function. The donor is a living relative., A child born with intestinal atresia needs a transplant to replace the non-functional portion of their intestine. A living donor provides a segment of healthy intestine.
Documentation should include pre-operative evaluations, details of the donor and recipient surgeries, operative reports describing the transplantation procedure, and post-operative care notes.
** As of December 10, 2024, Medicare coverage for living donor intestinal transplantation is at the discretion of individual contractors. For accurate and up-to-date information on coding, coverage, and reimbursement, always consult the latest CPT manual and payer-specific guidelines.
- Specialties:General Surgery, Transplant Surgery
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital