2025 CPT code 37216
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Cardiovascular System Feed
Transcatheter placement of intravascular stent(s), cervical carotid artery, open or percutaneous, including angioplasty, when performed, and radiological supervision and interpretation; without distal embolic protection.
Modifiers may be applicable. Modifier 50 is used for bilateral procedures, and modifier 22 may be appended if the service is significantly more complex than typically described by the code.Other modifiers may be applicable depending on the specific circumstances.
Medical necessity for this procedure must be established based on the patient's symptoms, degree of stenosis, and other clinical factors.Appropriate documentation must support the need for the intervention.
The physician is responsible for all aspects of the procedure, including patient preparation, anesthesia, access to the artery (either open or percutaneous), guidewire and catheter placement, stent deployment, angioplasty (if performed), post-procedure imaging to confirm placement, and wound closure.
In simple words: This procedure involves placing a small, mesh tube called a stent into the carotid artery in the neck.This is done to open up a blockage and improve blood flow to the brain.The doctor uses a thin tube called a catheter, inserted through a small incision or puncture, to place the stent.X-ray imaging is used to guide the procedure.Sometimes, the doctor may also perform an angioplasty to further open up the artery.
This code describes a procedure where a stent is placed within the cervical carotid artery using a catheter, either percutaneously or through an open incision.It includes angioplasty, if performed, along with radiological supervision and interpretation.Distal embolic protection is not used.
Example 1: A patient presents with symptomatic carotid stenosis. After evaluation, the decision is made to perform a transcatheter stent placement without distal embolic protection due to anatomical considerations., A patient undergoing a carotid endarterectomy experiences complications that necessitate conversion to a transcatheter stent placement.A stent is placed without distal embolic protection due to the emergent nature of the situation., A patient with recurrent carotid stenosis after prior endarterectomy is treated with transcatheter stent placement.Due to specific patient factors, the decision is made to forego distal embolic protection.
Documentation should include the indication for the procedure (e.g., carotid stenosis), the approach used (open or percutaneous), details of the angioplasty if performed, confirmation of stent placement, and any complications encountered.Pre- and post-procedure imaging results should also be documented.
** Code 37216 is for the placement of a stent in the cervical portion of the extracranial carotid artery.For intracranial stent placement, use code 61635.
- Specialties:Cardiology, Vascular Surgery, Interventional Radiology
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center