Reporting Cardiothoracic Procedures Using CPT Category I and III Codes (33411, 33863, 33864, 0256T-0259T) (August 2011)

Why This Topic Matters

These updates affect how cardiothoracic and transcatheter aortic valve procedures are represented in CPT, which can influence accurate procedure reporting and code selection for evolving surgical techniques.

Article Sections

1. Aortic Valve Replacement

   Discusses CPT terminology changes and code-family updates related to aortic valve replacement procedures. It also notes a technical correction within the code set.

2. Ascending (Thoracic) Aorta Aneurysm Repair

   Covers terminology revisions in the ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm repair code family and the related code structure changes. The section describes the procedure group and its organization within CPT.

3. Coding Tip

   Provides general coding guidance associated with the thoracic aorta and valve procedure code families. It highlights related services and bundled components at a high level.

4. Catheter-Delivered Prosthetic Aortic Valve Replacement

   Introduces the Category III transcatheter aortic valve procedure codes and describes the overall procedure categories they address. The section also notes related access and exposure approaches.

5. Coding Tip

   Summarizes reporting considerations connected with the catheter-delivered valve and transthoracic exposure code families. It offers general guidance on how the code groups are organized.

6. Clinical Example (0256T)

   Presents a procedure scenario associated with one of the Category III transcatheter valve codes. The example is included to illustrate the type of case discussed in the article.

7. Clinical Example (0257T)

   Presents a related procedure scenario for another transcatheter valve approach code. The example shows a different access route described in the article.

8. Clinical Example (0258T)

   Presents a scenario involving transthoracic cardiac exposure for a catheter-delivered valve procedure. It is one of the article’s procedural examples.

9. Clinical Example (0259T)

   Presents a scenario involving transthoracic cardiac exposure with cardiopulmonary bypass for a catheter-delivered valve procedure. It is the final clinical example in the article.