2025 CPT code 77022
Effective Date: N/A Radiology Procedures > Radiologic Guidance Feed
Magnetic resonance imaging guidance for, and monitoring of, parenchymal tissue ablation.
Modifiers 26 (professional component) and TC (technical component) may be applicable depending on the services provided.
Medical necessity for MRI guidance and monitoring must be justified by the complexity of the ablation procedure and the need for precise localization and monitoring of the targeted tissue. Specific payer requirements may exist.
The physician performing the ablation is responsible for the procedure. The radiologist provides the MRI guidance and monitoring for accurate and safe ablation.
In simple words: This procedure uses an MRI scan to guide a doctor in destroying abnormal tissue, like a tumor, inside your body. The MRI helps the doctor see exactly where the tissue is and guide a needle to the right spot. Then, using the needle, heat or other methods are used to destroy the tissue. This code only covers the use of the MRI to guide and monitor the procedure, not the actual destruction of the tissue.
This code describes a procedure where magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to guide and monitor the ablation of parenchymal tissue.The MRI helps locate the specific tissue of an organ or growth to be ablated. This code is specifically for the guidance and monitoring provided by MRI during the ablation procedure and does not include the ablation itself.The physician performing the ablation uses MRI to identify the target area, guide the insertion of a needle electrode, and monitor the destruction of the targeted tissue by electric current. Other codes should be used in conjunction with 77022 to report the actual ablation performed depending on the targeted organ/tissue.
Example 1: A patient with a liver tumor undergoes MRI-guided ablation. The radiologist uses MRI to locate the tumor and guide the needle insertion. The physician performing the ablation uses the MRI images to monitor the destruction of the tumor tissue. Code 77022 is reported for the radiologist’s service of guidance and monitoring., A patient with a renal tumor requires percutaneous ablation. The radiologist uses MRI for guidance and monitoring during the procedure. The urologist performs the ablation. 77022 is reported along with the appropriate renal ablation code., A patient with a lung tumor undergoes MRI-guided ablation for the tumor's destruction. Code 77022 is reported for the radiologist's service in guiding and monitoring the ablation using MRI along with the appropriate pulmonary ablation code by the physician performing the ablation.
Documentation should include details of the MRI guidance and monitoring, including the type of MRI used, the location of the tissue ablated, the method of ablation used, and any complications encountered. The report should clearly distinguish the radiologist's role in guidance and monitoring from the physician's role in performing the ablation.
** It is essential to differentiate between the radiologist's role in providing guidance and monitoring (77022) and the physician's role in performing the actual ablation procedure (using other relevant codes). Clear documentation is crucial for accurate coding and reimbursement.
- Modifier TC rule: Modifier TC is applicable if only the technical component of the MRI service is being billed.
- Specialties:Radiology, Interventional Radiology, depending on the organ/tissue ablated it could also include specialties such as Urology, Pulmonology, Surgical Oncology, etc.
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center, and other facilities where MRI and ablation procedures can be performed.