Summary & Overview
CPT 01170: Anesthesia for Open Symphysis Pubis or Sacroiliac Joint Procedures
CPT code 01170 represents anesthesia services delivered for open surgical procedures involving the symphysis pubis or sacroiliac joint. This code is used by anesthesiologists and perioperative teams to document and bill for anesthesia care specific to open pelvic or sacroiliac joint surgeries. Nationally, accurate use of this code supports appropriate classification of perioperative resource use and aligns anesthesia reporting with the surgical complexity of pelvic and sacroiliac procedures.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication provides readers with clinical context for the code, common coding relationships, and the types of procedures and sites of service associated with 01170.
Readers will learn the clinical scope of the code, where it is typically reported (hospital operating rooms and ambulatory surgical centers), and how it connects to related surgical services. The report also situates 01170 within anesthesia service reporting practices and highlights relevant benchmarking and policy considerations for national payers. Data not provided in the input is identified as unavailable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 01170 describes anesthesia services provided for patients undergoing open surgical procedures involving the symphysis pubis or sacroiliac joint. The code applies to the anesthesia service associated with these open pelvic or lumbopelvic joint operations.
Service type: Anesthesia for open procedures of the symphysis pubis or sacroiliac joint
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center (inpatient or outpatient surgical setting)
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 56-year-old patient presents for elective open surgical stabilization of the pubic symphysis after a pelvic ring injury sustained in a motor vehicle collision. The orthopedic team plans an open reduction and internal fixation of the symphysis pubis with possible sacroiliac joint fixation. Pre‑operative evaluation is completed by the anesthesia team, including medical history, airway assessment, and review of comorbidities. On the day of surgery the anesthesiology provider administers general endotracheal anesthesia with intraoperative hemodynamic management, invasive monitoring as needed, and postoperative anesthetic care in the recovery area until the patient meets discharge criteria from the post‑anesthesia care unit. The anesthesia service documented includes preoperative evaluation, induction, maintenance, and emergence care for an open procedure involving the symphysis pubis and/or sacroiliac joint as described by 01170.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when anesthesia care required substantially greater work than typically required for 01170 (document rationale). |