Summary & Overview
CPT 01744: Anesthesia for Total Knee Arthroplasty
CPT 01744 covers anesthesia for total knee arthroplasty, the perioperative anesthetic management provided when a knee joint is surgically replaced. This code is nationally relevant because total knee arthroplasty is a common major orthopedic procedure with significant implications for resource use, perioperative safety, and bundled payment models. Anesthesia coding for these procedures drives hospital and professional payments, impacts documentation requirements, and factors into quality and utilization measures.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare. Readers will find a concise explanation of what CPT 01744 represents, the clinical context for its use, and how it relates to common inpatient surgical workflows. The publication also outlines typical billing modifiers and associated clinical and coding considerations, presents related procedural codes for cross-reference, and lists relevant ICD-10 diagnoses commonly encountered with total knee arthroplasty.
This summary is intended for clinicians, billers, and policy analysts seeking a clear reference on anesthesia coding for total knee replacement. It highlights billing context and clinical relevance without state-specific policy detail. Data not available in the input: service line specifics beyond provided metadata.
CPT Code Overview
CPT 01744 describes anesthesia services provided for total knee arthroplasty, an operative procedure on the knee joint to replace the joint surfaces. This code is used for perioperative anesthesia management associated with surgical replacement of the knee joint.
Service Type: Anesthesiology
Typical Site of Service: Inpatient Hospital (POS 21)
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult with advanced knee osteoarthritis scheduled for a primary total knee arthroplasty. The patient presents preoperatively with progressive pain, loss of function, and imaging-confirmed joint degeneration consistent with diagnoses such as M17.11 or M17.12. Preoperative evaluation occurs in the hospital setting (Inpatient Hospital, POS 21) and includes anesthesia assessment, consent, and review of comorbidities. On the day of surgery the anesthesiology team provides perioperative anesthesia care for 01744 (anesthesia for total knee arthroplasty), which may include neuraxial anesthesia (spinal/epidural), peripheral nerve blocks, monitored general anesthesia, intraoperative hemodynamic management, and postoperative pain handoff to recovery room or acute pain service. Typical workflow: preoperative assessment and optimization, intraoperative anesthesia management during 27447 (total knee arthroplasty), immediate postoperative recovery and pain control, and inpatient postoperative monitoring and orders for physical therapy and discharge planning.
Coding Specifications
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Common Modifiers
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AA- Anesthesia services performed personally by an anesthesiologist. Use when the anesthesiologist personally provides the anesthesia care for the case. -
QK- Medical direction of two, three, or four concurrent anesthesia procedures. Use when the physician medically directs multiple concurrent anesthesia services (2–4) and meets documentation requirements for medical direction.