This page addresses follow-up questions and additional information pertinent to our webinar
Beyond the Cath: Peripheral Interventions in the Cath Lab.

** The coding information and guidance are valid at the time of publishing. Learners are encouraged to research
subsequent official guidance in the areas associated with the topic as they can change rapidly.

Q: Why do congenital patients undergo so many repeat catheter procedures?
A: Unlike many adult vascular conditions, congenital heart disease is lifelong. As children grow and prior surgical repairs age, vessels, conduits, Fontan pathways, and pulmonary arteries may become narrowed, requiring repeat angioplasty, stenting, embolization, or biopsy throughout adulthood.

Q: If I see multiple catheter placements during a congenital cardiac catheterization, should I report separate catheterization codes?
A: Usually, no. Remember these two rules:
All nonselective catheterization is included in congenital cardiac catheterization codes 93593–93597.
Selective catheterization is included in the congenital angiography add-on codes when required to perform those studies.
Report a separate catheterization code only when the physician selectively catheterizes a vessel outside the congenital cardiac and pulmonary angiography services (for example, a selective hepatic vein catheterization performed during a transjugular liver biopsy).

Q: If multiple vessels are embolized during the same procedure, how do I determine the correct embolization code(s)?
A: Three questions determine embolization code selection:
How many codes? → Count the surgical fields, not the vessels or devices.
Which vessel was treated? → Determine whether the embolized vessel is arterial (37242) or venous (37241).
What is the clinical indication for the exam? → For example, assign 37243 for embolization performed due to a tumor or 37244 for embolization performed for an active bleed.
Remember: Separate organs (such as the right and left lungs) are considered separate surgical fields and may support reporting multiple embolization codes.

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