What would be the appropriate code(s) to report for the endobronchial blocker portion of work performed during a transbronchial lung cryobiopsy procedure in a single lobe? The work involves examining the airways to the subsegments bilaterally, which are found to be normal. The endobronchial blocker is then directed to the right lower lobe. The balloon is inflated appropriately to block off the right distal bronchus intermedius. In a segment of the right lower lobe and under fluoroscopic guidance, transbronchial lung cryobiopsies are obtained. After each biopsy, the balloon is immediately inflated with pressure held for 2 minutes. The balloon is deflated, the airway inspected with minimal signs of bleeding. This is repeated with each pass and a total of three samples are obtained. ...

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This premium article addresses coding questions around bronchoscopic transbronchial lung cryobiopsy work that includes endobronchial blocker use and balloon occlusion. It is aimed at coding professionals, billers, and reimbursement staff who need to understand how the service is framed and which bronchoscopic procedure categories are implicated. The discussion focuses on procedure scope, how the work is organized across lobes, and the general handling of add-on services, multiple procedures, and related modifier use.

Why This Topic Matters

Bronchoscopic cryobiopsy cases can include multiple components that affect how services are reported and reviewed. Understanding the article helps coders identify the applicable procedure families and recognize when additional lobe work or multiple-procedure reporting may be relevant.

Codes Discussed

• CPT: 31628
• CPT: 31634
• CPT: 31632

Modifiers Discussed

• CPT: 51
• CPT: 59

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