2025 CPT code 31660
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Respiratory System Feed
Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, with fluoroscopic guidance, and bronchial thermoplasty of one lobe.
Modifiers may be applicable in certain situations (e.g., 22 for increased procedural services, 52 for reduced services, etc.)
Medical necessity must be established for bronchial thermoplasty. It is typically indicated for patients with severe, persistent asthma that remains uncontrolled despite optimal medical management, including inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting beta-agonists, and other medications.
The physician performs the bronchoscopy and bronchial thermoplasty, including administering anesthesia, inserting the bronchoscope and catheter, applying radiofrequency energy, and monitoring the patient.
In simple words: A procedure to improve breathing in severe asthma patients. A thin, flexible tube (bronchoscope) is inserted into the lungs, and a heated device is used to reduce the muscle around the airways in one section of the lung.
This procedure involves inserting a bronchoscope (rigid or flexible) into the patient's airway, using fluoroscopic guidance. A radiofrequency catheter is then introduced through the bronchoscope to deliver radiofrequency energy to the airway muscles of a single lung lobe. This technique, known as bronchial thermoplasty, reduces the smooth muscle mass in the airways, improving breathing in patients with severe asthma.
Example 1: A patient with severe asthma uncontrolled by medication undergoes bronchial thermoplasty to one lobe of the lung., A patient experiences a significant asthma exacerbation despite maximal medical therapy. Following stabilization, they undergo single-lobe bronchial thermoplasty., A patient with severe asthma, previously treated with bronchial thermoplasty in two lobes during a previous session, now requires treatment in a third lobe.
Documentation should include the bronchoscopy report, details of the bronchial thermoplasty (lobe treated, energy settings), pre- and post-procedure assessments, informed consent, and medical necessity for the procedure (e.g., severity of asthma, failure of medical management).
** Bronchial thermoplasty is typically performed in three sessions, each treating a different area of the lungs. This code is for a single session treating only one lobe.
- Specialties:Pulmonology, Interventional Pulmonology, Thoracic Surgery
- Place of Service:Ambulatory Surgical Center, Hospital-Outpatient, Office