Summary & Overview
CPT 0075T: Extracranial Vertebral Artery Stent Placement
CPT code 0075T represents an endovascular procedure to place a stent in an extracranial vertebral artery to treat stenosis or blockage; it also includes the imaging, radiological supervision, and interpretation needed to determine and support the intervention. This procedure is clinically important for patients at risk of posterior circulation ischemia and has implications for hospital-based vascular and interventional radiology services nationwide. Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise national overview of clinical context and service settings, summaries of payer coverage patterns where available, and benchmarking and policy-related considerations relevant to reimbursement and utilization. The publication covers how this service is typically delivered (hospital outpatient or inpatient interventional suite), what the code bundles (procedure plus imaging and interpretation), and implications for billing and clinical documentation. Data not available in the input will be noted explicitly in sections that require payer-specific rates, taxonomies, diagnosis pairings, or utilization metrics.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0075T describes a percutaneous stent placement into an extracranial vertebral artery via an incision in the skin to treat stenosis or occlusion. The code includes imaging performed to determine the need for stenting along with radiological supervision and interpretation.
Service type: Endovascular stent placement for extracranial vertebral artery stenosis
Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department or inpatient vascular/interventional suite, where endovascular procedures and fluoroscopic imaging are performed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 72-year-old male with history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia presents with recurrent transient ischemic attacks characterized by brief episodes of vertigo and diplopia over 2 weeks. Noninvasive vascular imaging (CTA) demonstrates high-grade extracranial vertebral artery stenosis (proximal V1 segment) with correlating symptoms. The interventional neuroradiology team evaluates the patient and determines endovascular stent placement is indicated to restore luminal diameter and reduce recurrent posterior-circulation ischemia.
The clinical workflow: the patient is admitted to an endovascular suite or hybrid operating room for the procedure. Pre-procedure includes vascular access planning, informed consent, review of antiplatelet strategy, and baseline neurological assessment. Under conscious sedation or general anesthesia, percutaneous femoral or radial arterial access is obtained, diagnostic angiography performed to confirm lesion morphology and necessity for stent placement, then angioplasty and stent deployment in the extracranial vertebral artery are completed. Intra-procedural fluoroscopic imaging and radiological supervision/interpretation are performed throughout. Post-procedure, the patient is observed in a recovery unit or monitored bed for access-site complications, hemodynamic stability, and neurological status, with follow-up imaging as indicated.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the physician interpretation/radiology professional work separated from the technical component. |