2025 CPT code 36512
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Cardiovascular System Feed
Therapeutic apheresis for red blood cells.
Modifiers may be applicable to indicate specific circumstances or alterations to the procedure.
Medical necessity must be established by documenting the specific diagnosis requiring red blood cell apheresis and how it will benefit the patient. It should include recent lab results, symptoms, failed prior treatments, and why less invasive options are unsuitable.
The physician oversees the entire apheresis process, from connecting the patient to the machine to monitoring the separation and return of blood components. They also manage any fluid replacement or other supportive care.
In simple words: A medical procedure called apheresis uses a special machine to remove specific parts of your blood, like red blood cells, and then returns the rest of your blood back to you.It's used to treat certain blood disorders.
Therapeutic apheresis is a procedure where red blood cells are removed, separated, and the remaining blood components are returned to the patient. This code is specifically for the removal of red blood cells.
Example 1: A patient with sickle cell anemia experiencing a vaso-occlusive crisis undergoes apheresis to remove the abnormal sickle-shaped red blood cells and replace them with healthy donor cells., A patient with severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia requires apheresis to remove the antibodies attacking their red blood cells, stabilizing their condition., A patient with red cell exchange to remove the abnormal red blood cells for severe malaria.
Documentation should include the medical necessity for the procedure, the specific blood component being targeted (red blood cells), the type of apheresis performed (manual or automated), any complications encountered, and the patient's response to the treatment.
- Specialties:Hematology, Oncology, Immunology
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Independent Clinic