Summary & Overview
CPT 00792: Anesthesia for Partial Hepatectomy or Liver Hemorrhage
CPT code 00792 covers anesthesia services for patients undergoing partial hepatectomy or operative management of liver hemorrhage, including laparoscopic approaches. As a code tied to major hepatobiliary procedures, it captures a high-acuity anesthesia service with implications for clinical staffing, perioperative risk management, and hospital resource allocation. Nationally, accurate coding of procedural anesthesia for liver surgery supports appropriate payment and quality measurement for complex intra-abdominal operations. Key payers included in this overview are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical scope of the code, typical sites of service, and how this code relates to adjacent intraperitoneal anesthesia codes used for upper abdominal procedures. The publication summarizes common modifiers reported with anesthesia services, relevant clinician taxonomies, and representative ICD-10 diagnoses that commonly accompany cases coded to 00792. It also highlights nearby related anesthesia codes for other upper abdominal procedures to aid accurate selection. This summary is intended for billing managers, perioperative clinicians, and policy analysts seeking a national perspective on procedural classification and coding context for anesthesia in partial liver resections and hemorrhage control.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 00792 describes anesthesia services provided for partial hepatectomy or management of liver hemorrhage, including procedures performed via laparoscopy. The service involves administration and monitoring of anesthesia for surgical removal of part of the liver or operative control of hepatic bleeding. This code explicitly excludes liver biopsy.
Service type: Anesthesia for major abdominal hepatobiliary surgery (partial hepatectomy / liver hemorrhage management)
Typical site of service: Operating room or surgical suite in an acute care hospital, including cases performed with laparoscopy.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old male with a history of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (K21.9) and intermittent epigastric pain (R10.13) is scheduled for a partial hepatectomy for resection of a suspicious hepatic segmental mass and management of intrahepatic bleeding identified on imaging. Preoperative evaluation includes anesthesia assessment, airway review, review of comorbidities, and consent for general endotracheal anesthesia. On the day of surgery the patient is taken to the operating room in an ambulatory surgical center or hospital main OR for an intraperitoneal upper abdominal procedure. The anesthesia team induces general anesthesia, places invasive monitoring as indicated, and provides intraoperative hemodynamic management, analgesia, and blood product coordination for potential hemorrhage. The surgeon performs a partial liver resection, with the option to use laparoscopy for resection or conversion to open laparotomy if needed. The anesthesia service is reported with 00792 to reflect anesthesia for partial hepatectomy or management of liver hemorrhage (including laparoscopic approach). Typical recovery includes transition to post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) or intensive care unit (ICU) depending on intraoperative course, with postoperative pain control and monitoring for bleeding, bile leak, and hepatic dysfunction.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|