2025 CPT code 00326
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Anesthesia - Anesthesia for Procedures on the Neck Anesthesia Feed
Anesthesia services for procedures on the larynx and trachea in children under one year old.
Modifiers may be applicable to reflect the type of anesthesia service, the qualifications of the provider, or any unusual circumstances. Consult payer-specific guidelines.
Medical necessity for anesthesia is established based on the need for general anesthesia to safely manage the airway and provide pain relief during the complex procedures performed on the larynx or trachea in this young age group.The high risk of complications in infants necessitates specialized anesthesia management and monitoring.
The anesthesia provider is responsible for pre-operative evaluation, induction and monitoring of anesthesia during the procedure on the larynx and trachea, documentation of medications, monitoring, patient response and anesthesia duration, and the transfer to post-anesthesia care. The provider is not responsible for the surgical procedure itself.
In simple words: This code covers the doctor's work giving anesthesia to a child less than a year old having surgery on their voice box or windpipe. This includes checking the child before the surgery, giving the medicine to put them to sleep, keeping track of their health during the surgery, and making sure they are okay afterwards.
This CPT code encompasses anesthesia services rendered for any procedure performed on the larynx and trachea in patients younger than one year of age.The anesthesia provider's responsibilities include pre-operative evaluation, induction of anesthesia, monitoring throughout the procedure (including recording medication administration, monitoring methods, patient responses, and anesthesia start/stop times), and overseeing post-operative transfer. Standard monitoring (ECG, temperature, blood pressure, oximetry, capnography, and mass spectrometry) is included; however, unusual monitoring (Swan-Ganz catheters, intra-arterial lines, central venous lines) requires separate coding with sufficient documentation. Anesthesia time is calculated from preparation for induction to the end of provider services or when another provider assumes post-operative care.This time, along with base units assigned to the code, determines total billable units.When multiple anesthesia services are provided during the same encounter, the most complex procedure code is used, with total time units added across procedures. Qualifying circumstance codes (e.g., 99100) may be added for complex cases.
Example 1: A 6-month-old infant undergoes a tracheostomy. The anesthesiologist administers anesthesia, monitors vital signs throughout the procedure and oversees the transfer to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU).Code 00326 is reported along with codes reflecting the tracheostomy procedure and associated anesthesia time units., A 10-month-old child requires a laryngoscopy and biopsy under general anesthesia.The anesthesiologist manages the airway, administers anesthetic agents, monitors the patient, and documents the anesthetic course. The procedure and anesthesia are reported with appropriate time units and 00326., A 9-month-old infant undergoes laser surgery to address a laryngeal lesion. The anesthesiologist manages the airway, performs routine anesthesia monitoring, and documents all relevant data; anesthesia time is calculated accordingly, and reported with 00326.
Detailed anesthesia records are required, including pre-operative assessment, type and amount of anesthetic agents, monitoring parameters (ECG, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, capnography, temperature), patient response to anesthesia, start and stop times, and any complications or unusual occurrences.Postoperative transfer documentation should also be included. Complete documentation of the surgical procedure is essential.
** Accurate documentation of anesthesia time is crucial for accurate billing.Payers may use different time unit increments (e.g., 15 minutes, 8 minutes).Consult payer-specific guidelines for calculation and reporting of anesthesia units.
- Revenue Code: P0 (ANESTHESIA)
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: This code does not inherently include a technical component (TC) modifier.However, modifier application depends on the specific circumstances and payer requirements.
- Specialties:Anesthesiology, Otolaryngology, Pediatric Surgery
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Office-Based Surgery