2025 CPT code 36014
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Cardiovascular System Surgery Feed
Selective catheter placement in the left or right pulmonary artery.
Modifiers RT (right) and LT (left) are required to specify the pulmonary artery involved. Modifier 50 (bilateral procedure) may be used if catheters are placed in both pulmonary arteries; however, some payers may require separate reporting (36014-RT and 36014-LT).Other modifiers may apply depending on the circumstances.
The medical necessity of selective pulmonary artery catheterization is established by the clinical indication, such as suspected or confirmed pulmonary embolism, evaluation of complex congenital heart disease, or hemodynamic assessment in critically ill patients. Documentation supporting the need for this level of detail is crucial.
The physician's responsibility involves accessing a vein (e.g., femoral vein), advancing a guidewire and catheter under fluoroscopic guidance into the target pulmonary artery (right or left, specified by modifier). The physician is responsible for the selective catheter placement. Radiological supervision and interpretation is billed separately.
In simple words: This code describes the placement of a thin tube (catheter) into a blood vessel leading to the lungs.A doctor uses imaging to guide the tube to its proper place in the lung's blood supply.This code only covers the placement of the tube, not any imaging or treatment that may follow.
This CPT code, 36014, represents the selective placement of a catheter into either the left or right pulmonary artery.The procedure involves the introduction of a catheter, guided by fluoroscopy, through a suitable vascular access site (e.g., femoral vein) and advanced selectively into the target pulmonary artery.This code encompasses the catheter placement itself; separate codes are used for angiography (imaging) and any subsequent interventions.
Example 1: A patient presents with suspected pulmonary embolism.The physician performs a selective catheterization of the right pulmonary artery (36014-RT) to assess for the presence of thrombi, followed by angiography (75741 or 75743).A thrombectomy is performed if indicated., A patient with complex congenital heart disease requires selective catheter placement in both the right and left pulmonary arteries (36014-RT and 36014-LT) for detailed hemodynamic assessment and to guide intervention., During a right heart catheterization, the physician finds it necessary to advance the catheter selectively into the left pulmonary artery (36014-LT) for pressure measurements and targeted sampling of blood.
* Detailed procedural notes outlining the vascular access site, the approach, and precise location of catheter tip in the pulmonary artery (right or left).* Imaging studies (fluoroscopy or angiography) demonstrating successful catheter placement.* Anesthesia records if local or regional anesthesia was administered.* Any complications encountered during the procedure, including bleeding or hematoma formation.* Clinical indication for the procedure.
** Always verify payer-specific coding guidelines and reimbursement policies.Accurate documentation is essential for appropriate coding and payment.
- Revenue Code: P2F (MAJOR PROCEDURE, CARDIOVASCULAR - OTHER)
- RVU: Information not available in provided source.Refer to current CPT codebook for RVU values.
- Global Days: Information not available in provided source.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: A Technical Component (TC) modifier is not typically applied to this code since it refers to the professional component of catheter placement.The facility component would be billed separately.
- Fee Schedule: Information not available in provided source. Refer to historical CPT codebooks and fee schedules for past payment rates.
- Specialties:Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, Pulmonary Medicine, Vascular Surgery
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center