Summary & Overview
CPT 62362: Implantation or Replacement of Programmable Intrathecal/Epidural Pump
CPT 62362 denotes the implantation or replacement of a programmable intrathecal or epidural drug infusion pump and includes pump preparation and optional programming. This procedure is clinically significant for managing chronic pain, spasticity, and certain neurologic conditions by delivering targeted medication directly to the spinal canal. Nationally, the code is relevant to hospital-based anesthesiology services and carries implications for utilization, device management, and perioperative care pathways.
Key payers covered in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the procedure and its clinical context, comparisons to closely related CPT codes for non-programmable pumps and reservoir devices, and highlights of common billing considerations. The publication outlines typical sites of service and service line context, common ICD-10 diagnoses associated with pump-related encounters, and operational notes such as commonly applied modifiers and related service codes. Where input data is incomplete, this summary notes missing elements explicitly.
This piece is intended to inform coding, billing, and clinical stakeholders about the scope and billing context of CPT 62362, offering clarity on what the code represents, associated procedural bundles, and the payer landscape that commonly covers the service.
CPT Code Overview
CPT 62362 describes the implantation or replacement of a programmable pump for intrathecal or epidural drug infusion, and includes preparation of the pump, with or without programming. This procedure falls under the Anesthesiology service type and is commonly performed in an Inpatient Hospital (POS 21) setting. The code covers placement or replacement of a device designed to deliver medications directly into the intrathecal or epidural space, where a programmable pump allows adjustment of infusion parameters as needed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 42-year-old patient with chronic spasticity and focal neuropathic pain previously managed with systemically administered medications presents with recurrent pump malfunction and drug leakage. The patient is admitted to the inpatient hospital for operative management. The anesthesiology pain service performs implantation of a programmable intrathecal pump to deliver continuous targeted medication. The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation and optimization, device preparation and programming in the operating room, intraoperative implant and catheter placement, device testing, sterile dressing and recovery in the post-anesthesia care unit, and inpatient monitoring for hemodynamic stability, neurologic status, and wound complications prior to discharge.
Coding Specifications
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Modifier
59— Distinct Procedural ServiceUse when the implantation or replacement procedure is distinct and separate from other services performed on the same date that are not normally reported together.
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Modifier
51— Multiple ProceduresUse when multiple procedures are performed at the same operative session; list the primary service first and append
51to lesser-valued procedures according to payer rules. -
Associated provider taxonomies and specialties: