2025 CPT code 37253
(unknown) Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Cardiovascular System Feed
Intravascular ultrasound (noncoronary vessel) during diagnostic evaluation and/or therapeutic intervention, including radiological supervision and interpretation; each additional noncoronary vessel.
Modifiers may be applicable depending on the specific circumstances. Refer to current CPT guidelines.
Medical necessity must be established for both the primary procedure and the use of IVUS. IVUS is typically justified when its use impacts the treatment plan.
The physician makes a small incision, inserts a sheath and guidewire, then the ultrasound catheter. The transducer emits sound waves, creating images on a screen to examine the vessel's interior. Once finished, the catheter and guidewire are removed, bleeding is stopped, and the incision closed.
In simple words: This procedure uses ultrasound to examine the inside of blood vessels (not heart vessels) during diagnosis or treatment. This code is used for each additional vessel examined after the first.
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) involves inserting a catheter with an ultrasound transducer into a noncoronary vessel. It's used during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures like stent placement. This code is for each additional noncoronary vessel examined after the first, including radiological supervision and interpretation.
Example 1: A patient undergoing peripheral artery stent placement has IVUS performed on the superficial femoral artery and the popliteal artery. 37252 would be reported for the first vessel examined and 37253 for the second vessel., During a diagnostic angiogram of the lower extremity arteries, IVUS is performed on three separate vessels. 37252 is reported for the initial vessel, and 37253 is reported twice, once for each additional vessel., A patient with a stenosis in the renal artery undergoes angioplasty. IVUS is used to examine the renal artery before and after the procedure. This would be reported with 37252, along with the appropriate angioplasty code. If additional vessels were examined with IVUS, then 37253 would be reported for each additional vessel.
Documentation should include details of the primary procedure, the vessels examined with IVUS, and the findings of the ultrasound.
** This code is an add-on code and should not be reported alone. It must be used in conjunction with 37252 and a primary procedure code.
- Revenue Code: I3F - ECHOGRAPHY - OTHER
- Payment Status: unknown
- Specialties:Interventional Radiology, Vascular Surgery, Cardiology
- Place of Service:Ambulatory Surgical Center, Hospital Inpatient, Hospital Outpatient