2025 CPT code 43232
Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Digestive System Surgery Feed
Esophagoscopy with transendoscopic ultrasound-guided intramural or transmural fine needle aspiration or biopsy.
Modifiers may be applicable. For example, modifier 22 (Increased Procedural Services) could be used if the procedure was significantly more complex than usual due to anatomical variations or the nature of the lesion.
Medical necessity must be established by documenting the patient's symptoms, signs, or prior imaging findings suggesting a condition requiring tissue sampling. The documentation should also explain why an EUS-guided procedure is necessary over other less invasive methods.For surveillance cases (e.g. Barrett's esophagus), established guidelines for surveillance frequency should be adhered to.
The physician is responsible for administering anesthesia, inserting the endoscope and ultrasound transducer, obtaining samples via fine needle aspiration or biopsy, and removing all instruments. The physician also interprets the ultrasound images to guide the needle.
In simple words: The doctor uses a thin, flexible tube with a camera and ultrasound on the end to look at your esophagus.Using the ultrasound image as a guide, they then insert a small needle through the tube to collect cell or tissue samples from a spot in your esophagus.This helps them diagnose any problems.
This code describes a procedure where a flexible endoscope is inserted through the mouth into the esophagus. Using ultrasound guidance through the endoscope, a fine needle is used to obtain either fluid, tissue, or cells samples (fine needle aspiration) or tissue samples (biopsy) from the esophageal wall or a lesion within the wall.
Example 1: A patient presents with a suspicious mass in their esophagus discovered on a previous CT scan. An EUS-guided FNA/biopsy (43232) is performed to obtain tissue samples for diagnosis., A patient with a history of Barrett’s esophagus undergoes surveillance with an EUS-guided biopsy (43232) to detect any early signs of dysplasia or malignancy., A patient with enlarged lymph nodes near the esophagus undergoes EUS-guided FNA (43232) to determine if the enlargement is due to infection, inflammation, or malignancy.
Documentation should include the indication for the procedure, the type of samples obtained (FNA or biopsy), the location of the lesion or sampling site, any complications encountered, and the number of samples taken.
- Revenue Code: P8B
- Specialties:Gastroenterology, Thoracic Surgery
- Place of Service:Ambulatory Surgical Center, Hospital Outpatient Department, Office