2025 CPT code 61710
Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Nervous System Feed
Surgery of aneurysm, vascular malformation, or carotid-cavernous fistula; by intra-arterial embolization, injection procedure, or balloon catheter.
Modifiers may be applicable to this code, such as 22 (Increased Procedural Services), 51 (Multiple Procedures), 52 (Reduced Services), and others to further specify the circumstances of the procedure.
Medical necessity must be established by documenting the presence of an aneurysm, vascular malformation, or carotid-cavernous fistula requiring surgical intervention.
The physician performs the craniotomy, accesses the aneurysm, vascular malformation, or carotid-cavernous fistula, performs the embolization, drains excess fluid or blood, sutures the dura, reattaches the bone flap, and dresses the wound.
In simple words: The surgeon opens the skull to reach a problem area in a blood vessel in the brain. They then block off the blood flow to this problem area using different methods to prevent further issues. The skull is then closed, and the area is bandaged.
This procedure involves the surgical removal of a portion of the skull bone (craniotomy) to access an aneurysm, vascular malformation, or carotid-cavernous fistula. The malformation is then embolized, which means its blood supply is deliberately occluded. This can be achieved by injecting a substance like glue or by placing devices such as small plastic particles, metal coils or balloons through the blood supply. After embolization, excess fluid or blood is drained, the dura is sutured, the bone flap is reattached, and the wound is dressed.
Example 1: A patient presents with a ruptured aneurysm in the brain. Code 61710 is used for the surgical treatment which includes a craniotomy and embolization of the aneurysm., A patient has a carotid-cavernous fistula. The surgeon performs a craniotomy and embolizes the fistula to correct the abnormal connection between the carotid artery and the cavernous sinus. This procedure is coded as 61710., A patient is diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the brain. The surgeon performs a craniotomy and embolizes the AVM using coils. This procedure is coded as 61710.
Documentation should include the diagnosis, operative report detailing the procedure, type of embolization material used, and any complications encountered.
- Revenue Code: P1G
- Specialties:Neurosurgery
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center