2025 CPT code 36248
Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Cardiovascular System Feed
Selective catheter placement, arterial system; additional second order, third order, and beyond, abdominal, pelvic, or lower extremity artery branch, within a vascular family.
Modifiers may be applicable to indicate specific circumstances, such as reduced services (52), discontinued procedures (53), or distinct procedural services (59).
Medical necessity should be established by documenting the clinical indication for the procedure, such as claudication, ischemic pain, or suspected arterial blockage. The documentation should support the need for each additional catheter placement to fully assess the vascular anatomy or to perform necessary interventions.
The physician performing the procedure is responsible for gaining access to the blood vessels, typically through the femoral artery. They clean the area, make a small incision under local anesthesia, insert a guidewire and catheter, and guide it to the target area. Contrast material is then injected to visualize the blood vessels using X-ray or fluoroscopy.
In simple words: This procedure involves placing a thin tube (catheter) into specific arteries in your abdomen, pelvis, or lower extremities to diagnose or treat conditions. This code is for additional placements within the same area during the same procedure.
This code describes a selective catheterization procedure performed on the arterial system, specifically for additional branches of the abdominal, pelvic, or lower extremity arteries within the same vascular family. This code is used in addition to the code for the initial second or third order vessel. It includes the introduction and placement catheterization of the right common and internal carotid arteries.
Example 1: A patient presents with severe claudication in the right leg. Angiography reveals stenosis in the right superficial femoral artery and the physician performs an initial catheterization (36246) followed by additional catheter placements (36248) in deeper branches within the same vascular family to fully assess the extent of the stenosis., During an angiogram for a patient with abdominal pain, the physician places an initial catheter in the celiac artery (36246).To further evaluate blood flow, they place additional catheters (36248) into smaller branches within the celiac vascular family such as the hepatic and splenic arteries., A patient with suspected pelvic arterial disease undergoes angiography.Following an initial catheter placement in the internal iliac artery (36247), the physician inserts further catheters (36248) into additional branches to pinpoint the location of a blockage.
Documentation should include details of the access site, approach (ipsilateral or contralateral), highest level of catheter manipulation, number and location of additional catheter placements within the same vascular family, and all associated imaging studies. The report should also justify the medical necessity of each catheter placement and any interventions performed.
- Revenue Code: P2F
- Specialties:Interventional Radiology, Vascular Surgery, Cardiology
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center