In simple words: This code covers the doctor's services giving anesthesia to a baby less than a year old during heart surgery that uses a machine to do the work of the baby's heart and lungs. The doctor prepares the baby, monitors them during surgery, gives medicine, and helps transfer them after the surgery.

This CPT code represents anesthesia services provided for procedures involving the heart, pericardial sac, and great vessels of the chest (e.g., aorta, its major branches, and major pulmonary vessels) in patients under one year of age requiring a pump oxygenator (heart-lung machine).The anesthesia provider's responsibilities encompass pre-operative evaluation, induction and monitoring during the procedure, medication administration, monitoring (ECG, temperature, blood pressure, oximetry, capnography, and mass spectrometry), and post-operative patient transfer.Unusual monitoring (Swan-Ganz catheters, intra-arterial lines, or central venous lines) should be coded separately. Anesthesia time begins with preparation for induction and ends when the provider ceases services or another provider assumes post-operative care.Time units are calculated based on payer-specific increments (e.g., 15-minute blocks). When multiple anesthesia services occur during the same encounter, the most complex procedure code is used, and the total anesthesia time is combined and divided by the payer's time unit increment.

Example 1: A 6-month-old infant undergoes a complex cardiac repair requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The anesthesiologist administers anesthesia, manages the airway, monitors vital signs, and adjusts medications as needed throughout the procedure. Post-operatively, the anesthesiologist manages the patient's transition to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)., A premature infant with a congenital heart defect requires surgery to correct the defect.The anesthesiologist uses specialized equipment and techniques to maintain the infant's hemodynamic stability during the surgery, which requires CPB. The anesthesiologist carefully monitors the infant's temperature and oxygen saturation, and post-operatively manages pain and provides support to maintain respiratory function., A neonate undergoes surgery to repair a major congenital heart defect, involving the aorta and pulmonary arteries. The anesthesiologist employs a variety of monitoring techniques to assess the infant’s cardiopulmonary status, and manages the complex anesthetic and hemodynamic challenges associated with this intricate procedure.Post-operatively, the anesthesiologist provides pain management and monitors for signs of complications.

Detailed anesthesia record including pre-operative assessment, medications administered (type and amount), monitoring used (ECG, temperature, blood pressure, oximetry, capnography, and mass spectrometry), patient responses to anesthesia, start and stop times of anesthesia care, and post-anesthesia care transfer details.Documentation should also justify the need for a pump oxygenator.

** This code is specifically for pediatric patients under one year of age requiring a pump oxygenator.Appropriate modifiers should be appended as required by the payer.