2025 CPT code 75970
Transcatheter biopsy, radiological supervision and interpretation.
Modifiers such as 26 (professional component), 52 (reduced services), and others may be applicable depending on the circumstances of the procedure.Refer to current CPT guidelines for appropriate modifier usage.
Medical necessity must be established for this procedure. This typically includes documentation of the patient's symptoms, signs, and other diagnostic test results indicating a need for a biopsy to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. It should be clear why a less invasive biopsy method was not suitable.
The physician performing and interpreting the imaging for the transcatheter biopsy is responsible for reporting this code. This includes guiding the catheter, obtaining tissue samples, and interpreting the resulting images.
In simple words: This procedure involves taking a tissue sample through a small tube (catheter) inserted into a blood vessel.A special X-ray video (fluoroscopy) is used to guide the catheter, and dye (contrast material) may be injected to help visualize the area.The doctor overseeing and interpreting these images uses this code.
This code represents the physician's supervision and interpretation of a transcatheter biopsy, which involves obtaining tissue for diagnostic pathologic analysis through a catheter.This includes contrast injections, angiography/venography, roadmapping, and fluoroscopic guidance for the intervention, vessel measurement, and completion angiography/venography (except for those uses permitted by 75898). Diagnostic angiography/venography performed at the time of the procedure is separately reportable if not available or inadequate from a prior study, or if the patient's condition has changed.
Example 1: A patient with a suspicious mass in the liver undergoes a transcatheter biopsy under fluoroscopic guidance. The physician inserts a catheter into a blood vessel and advances it to the site of the mass. A biopsy needle is then inserted through the catheter to obtain a tissue sample. The physician supervises the imaging and interprets the results., A patient with a blocked artery undergoes a transcatheter biopsy to assess the nature of the blockage.The physician uses fluoroscopy to guide the catheter into the artery and obtains a sample of the blockage via a small cutting device deployed through the catheter. The physician directly supervises the imaging and interprets the images., A patient with an enlarged lymph node requires a biopsy.The physician performs the transcatheter approach, guiding the catheter into the node and extracting a small sample using forceps. Fluoroscopic imaging is used throughout the procedure and interpreted by the physician.
Documentation should include details of the procedure, including the approach used, the location of the biopsy, the type of imaging guidance used, and the interpretation of the images. Any complications should also be noted. Supporting documentation such as pre- and post-procedure imaging and pathology reports are necessary to support medical necessity.
- Specialties:Interventional radiology, vascular surgery, cardiology, and other specialties performing transcatheter procedures.
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center, and other facilities where interventional radiology procedures are performed.