2025 CPT code 37236
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Cardiovascular System Feed
Transcatheter placement of an intravascular stent(s) (except lower extremity artery(s) for occlusive disease, cervical carotid, extracranial vertebral or intrathoracic carotid, intracranial, or coronary), open or percutaneous, including radiological supervision and interpretation and including all angioplasty within the same vessel, when performed; initial artery
Modifiers may be applicable. Modifier 50 is used for bilateral procedures, modifier 78 for unplanned return to the operating room, and modifier 59 for distinct procedural services.
Medical necessity for 37236 is established by documenting evidence of arterial stenosis causing significant symptoms or functional impairment, and that less invasive treatments have been unsuccessful or are not appropriate.
The physician prepares the patient and administers anesthesia if needed. For open procedures, an incision is made over the vessel, followed by an incision into the vessel itself to access the narrowed area. For percutaneous procedures, a small incision is made, and a catheter is inserted into the vessel using a needle and guidewire. Contrast material is injected to visualize the narrowing. Angioplasty may be performed before the stent is placed. The stent is then deployed at the narrowed site and expanded to open the artery. The catheter is removed, and the access site closed using pressure, closure device, or suture.
In simple words: A stent is a small, expandable tube used to open up narrowed arteries. This procedure involves placing a stent in an artery using a catheter, a thin, flexible tube. The doctor may access the artery through a small incision in the skin (percutaneous) or through an open surgical approach. This code covers the placement of the first stent and includes imaging and any necessary widening of the artery with a balloon (angioplasty) within the same vessel.
Transcatheter placement of an intravascular stent(s) (except lower extremity artery(s) for occlusive disease, cervical carotid, extracranial vertebral or intrathoracic carotid, intracranial, or coronary), open or percutaneous, including radiological supervision and interpretation and including all angioplasty within the same vessel, when performed; initial artery. This code is used for the initial placement of a stent in an artery, excluding those specified, using either an open or percutaneous approach. It includes radiological supervision, interpretation, and any angioplasty within the same vessel.
Example 1: A patient presents with renal artery stenosis. The physician performs a percutaneous transcatheter stent placement in the renal artery to improve blood flow to the kidney., A patient with mesenteric artery stenosis undergoes an open stent placement procedure to alleviate symptoms of intestinal ischemia., A patient with stenosis in the subclavian artery undergoes a percutaneous stent placement to improve blood flow to the arm.
Documentation should include details of the procedure, including approach (open or percutaneous), location of the stenosis, type of stent used, any angioplasty performed, and pre- and post-procedure angiography findings. Medical necessity for the procedure should also be documented.
** This code applies to stent placement in arteries other than lower extremity arteries for occlusive disease, cervical carotid, intracranial, extracranial vertebral, intrathoracic carotid, and coronary arteries. Multiple stents placed in a single vessel are reported with a single code.
- Specialties:Interventional Radiology, Vascular Surgery, Cardiology
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center