CPT 00848: Anesthesia for Intraperitoneal Lower Abdominal Procedures - OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 00848: Anesthesia for Intraperitoneal Lower Abdominal Procedures

CPT code 00848 denotes anesthesia services for intraperitoneal procedures in the lower abdomen, covering both laparoscopic approaches and extensive pelvic operations such as pelvic exenteration. This code captures anesthesia care complexity associated with lower abdominal intraperitoneal surgery and is relevant to surgical teams, anesthesia providers, hospital billing departments, and payers nationwide.

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 the common clinical diagnoses that often accompany its use. The publication also highlights related anesthesia codes for adjacent lower-abdominal intraperitoneal procedures to aid coder and billing staff in selecting appropriate codes.

The content prioritizes national relevance by focusing on the clinical context and billing implications of using 00848 for lower abdominal intraperitoneal anesthesia care. It serves as a reference for revenue cycle and clinical leaders seeking clarity on the code’s clinical application, common diagnostic associations, and neighboring CPT codes for similar procedures.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 00848anesthesiaintraperitoneal surgerylaparoscopypelvic exenterationoperating room proceduressurgical anesthesiaanesthesiology

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 00848 describes anesthesia services provided for an intraperitoneal procedure in the lower abdomen. The definition explicitly includes procedures performed via laparoscopy and extensive pelvic operations such as pelvic exenteration.

Service Type: Anesthesia for intraperitoneal lower abdominal surgery

Typical Site of Service: Operating room or other procedural suite where intraperitoneal lower abdominal surgeries (including laparoscopy and pelvic exenteration) are performed

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old male with a history of progressive lower urinary tract symptoms and elevated prostate-specific antigen is scheduled for an intraperitoneal prostate procedure under general anesthesia. The patient has a diagnosis of C61 (malignant neoplasm of prostate) with intermittent gross hematuria (R31.0) and benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms (N40.1) documented in the preoperative evaluation. The perioperative workflow includes preoperative assessment by anesthesia, intraoperative general endotracheal anesthesia with invasive monitoring as indicated, intraoperative fluid and blood management, and postoperative recovery in the PACU with pain control and monitoring for bleeding or urinary complications.

The typical site of service is an inpatient or ambulatory surgical center equipped for laparoscopy and pelvic surgery. The anesthesia service described by 00848 applies when the anesthesiologist or CRNA provides care for intraperitoneal procedures in the lower abdomen (including laparoscopy and pelvic exenteration) involving the prostate or pelvic organs. Key perioperative documentation includes anesthesia start/stop times, ASA physical status (commonly P2–P4 for this population), airway management, intraoperative events, blood loss, fluids/transfusions, and postoperative disposition.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description

CPT 00880: Anesthesia for Major Lower Abdominal Vascular Procedures

00752

CPT 00752: Anesthesia for Upper Abdominal Hernia Repairs

cpt-00864-extraperitoneal-lower-abdomen-anesthesia-total-cystectomy

CPT 00864: Anesthesia for Extraperitoneal Lower Abdominal Procedure, Total Cystectomy

00873

CPT 00873: Anesthesia for Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

00754

CPT 00754: Anesthesia for Shoulder and Axilla Procedures

cpt-00840-lower-abdomen-intraperitoneal-anesthesia-laparoscopy

CPT 00840: Anesthesia for Lower Abdominal Intraperitoneal Procedures, Including Laparoscopy

00700

CPT 00700: Anesthesia for Upper Anterior Abdominal Wall Procedures

00868

CPT 00868: Anesthesia for Renal Transplantation, Lower Abdominal Surgery

00797

CPT 00797: Anesthesia for Upper Abdominal Intraperitoneal Procedures

00864

CPT 00864: Anesthesia for Bladder Removal Surgery

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207L00000X`	Anesthesiology	Physician anesthesiologists who provide medical direction or personal services for intra-abdominal and pelvic procedures.
`367500000X`	Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist	CRNAs who deliver anesthesia care, often under medical direction or supervision.
`207V00000X`	Obstetrics & Gynecology Physician	Surgeons who may perform pelvic procedures; relevant when gynecologic pelvic exenteration is performed.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C61`	Malignant neoplasm of prostate	Primary oncologic indication for intraperitoneal pelvic surgery or pelvic exenteration requiring anesthesia under `00848`.
`N42.9`	Disorder of prostate, unspecified	General prostate disorder that may necessitate diagnostic or therapeutic intraperitoneal procedures under anesthesia.
`D29.1`	Benign neoplasm of prostate	Benign tumor of the prostate that can require surgical intervention via intraperitoneal or pelvic approaches.
`N40.1`	Benign prostatic hyperplasia with lower urinary tract symptoms	Common indication for operative management when medical therapy fails, potentially requiring laparoscopic or open intraperitoneal procedures.
`R31.0`	Gross hematuria	Symptom prompting evaluation or operative intervention in prostate or pelvic surgery under anesthesia described by `00848`.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`00844`	Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in lower abdomen including laparoscopy; abdominoperineal resection	Alternative anesthesia code for lower abdominal intraperitoneal procedures when the specific surgical procedure is abdominoperineal resection; used when that specific operation is performed instead of prostate or pelvic surgery covered by `00848`.
`00846`	Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in lower abdomen including laparoscopy; radical hysterectomy	Related when the intraperitoneal lower abdominal anesthesia service is provided for gynecologic radical hysterectomy rather than prostate or pelvic exenteration.
`00851`	Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in lower abdomen including laparoscopy; tubal ligation/transection	Related for less extensive intraperitoneal lower abdominal laparoscopic procedures such as tubal ligation; represents a less extensive surgical/anesthesia complexity compared with `00848`.

`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when anesthesia required substantially greater work due to complexity or complications beyond usual effort.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when anesthesia is medically necessary but not performed under general anesthesia due to severe systemic disease or other constraints.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use only if bilateral separate procedures are performed during the same anesthesia encounter.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the anesthesia service is partially reduced or limited compared to full service.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but discontinued for patient-related or surgical reasons.
`54`	Surgical care only	Use when reporting only the surgical portion (modifier applied to surgeon; for anesthesia context indicates division of care among providers).
`55`	Postoperative management only	Use when the provider performs only postoperative management.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons — may affect reporting and documentation of shared operative complexity.
`78`	Unplanned return to OR	Use when an anesthesia provider manages an unplanned return to the operating room for related procedure.
`AA`	Anesthesia services performed personally by anesthesiologist	Use when the physician anesthesiologist personally performs the anesthesia.
`AD`	Medical supervision by a physician; more than four concurrent anesthesia procedures	Use when supervising multiple concurrent anesthesia procedures per CMS rules.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for anesthesia assistance	Use when these providers assist in anesthesia under applicable rules.
`QK`	Medical direction of two, three, or four CRNAs/Anesthetists	Use when an anesthesiologist medically directs multiple CRNAs and requirements are met.
`QS`	Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) service	Use when MAC rather than general anesthesia is furnished.

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