AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9 - 2012 Issue 3; Ask the Editor
Angioplasty, Atherectomy, and Stent Insertion
I am familiar with the Coding Clinic, Fourth Quarter, 1996, page 63, advice that stated that “an angioplasty, by any technique, is performed in the placement of a stent(s), code 39.50, Angioplasty or atherectomy of non-coronary vessel should be assigned in addition to code 39.90, Insertion of non-coronary artery stent or stents.” I have reviewed the FY 2012 index and tabular changes for code 17.5 (atherectomy), 39.50 (angioplasty), 39.90/00.55 (stents) and my question boils down to: 1) When an arterial stent is inserted and there is no mention of separate angioplasty or atherectomy, then is angioplasty code 39.50 still assumed and coded as per the Coding Clinic guideline above? 2) When an arterial stent is inserted (00.55/39.90) and also there is atherectomy (17.5x), then are those two codes sufficient, ‘or’ does an angioplasty code (39.50) also get reported because of the stent insertion method? ...
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Article Overview
This article discusses coding guidance related to vascular interventions, with emphasis on angioplasty, atherectomy, and stent insertion. It is aimed at coders and other revenue-cycle professionals who work with ICD procedure coding and want to understand how official guidance and index/tabular updates affect code selection.
Why This Topic Matters
Articles like this help readers keep pace with procedure-coding guidance changes and understand how related interventions are reflected in official coding resources.
What You Will Learn
- How the article frames coding guidance for vascular interventions
- How official coding references and index/tabular updates are discussed
- How the topic relates to procedure coding changes over time
- What coding references are mentioned in connection with non-coronary vessel procedures
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding auditors
- Health information management professionals
- Revenue cycle staff
Codes Discussed
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