Summary & Overview
CPT 00560: Anesthesia for Cardiac and Great Vessel Procedures, No Pump Oxygenator
Headline: CPT 00560: Anesthesia for Cardiac and Great Vessel Procedures Without Pump Oxygenator
Lead: CPT 00560 identifies anesthesia services for intrathoracic procedures on the heart, pericardium, and major thoracic vessels performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. This designation is important for accurate billing, clinical documentation, and payer adjudication across inpatient hospital settings.
Why it matters: Anesthesia for cardiac and great-vessel surgery carries high complexity and risk; correct use of 00560 distinguishes cases performed without a pump oxygenator from bypass-assisted procedures and affects coding pathways and claims processing. Nationally, consistent application supports appropriate payment and quality tracking for high-acuity inpatient surgical care.
Payers covered: This brief addresses coverage and coding considerations for major national payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare.
What readers will learn: The publication provides an overview of the clinical context for 00560, common ICD-10 diagnosis pairings, how 00560 relates to adjacent anesthesia codes for intrathoracic procedures, and typical modifier usage. It outlines documentation elements relevant to payer review and highlights coding comparisons to related procedures that use pump oxygenation. Data not available in the input for service line specifics.
CPT Code Overview
CPT 00560 describes anesthesia care provided for procedures involving the heart, the sac around the heart, and the great vessels of the chest (for example, the aorta, its major branches, and the major pulmonary vessels) when performed without use of a pump oxygenator. Service Type: Anesthesia
Typical Site of Service: Inpatient Hospital (POS 21)
This code applies to intra-thoracic cardiac and great vessel procedures where anesthetic management is required and cardiopulmonary bypass (pump oxygenator) is not used. Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old inpatient with known atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and worsening heart failure is scheduled for an intrathoracic cardiac procedure under general anesthesia to address valvular disease and evaluate major thoracic vessels. The anesthesia team performs preoperative assessment in the hospital, documents airway and cardiac risk, establishes invasive monitoring (arterial line, central venous access as indicated), induces and maintains anesthesia, and provides perioperative hemodynamic management while the surgical team operates on the heart, pericardium, or great vessels without use of a cardiopulmonary bypass pump oxygenator. Postoperative handoff and documentation of anesthesia technique, medications, fluids, and recovery are completed in the inpatient setting.
Coding Specifications
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Modifiers
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QS: Monitored anesthesia care service — used to report monitored anesthesia care when appropriate for the anesthesia service provided. -
QX: CRNA service with medical direction by a physician — used when a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) performs the anesthesia service under physician direction as defined by payer rules. -
Provider Taxonomies
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