CPT 01462: Anesthesia for Closed Procedures of Lower Leg, Ankle, and Foot
Headline: CPT code 01462: Anesthesia for Closed Procedures of Lower Leg, Ankle, and Foot
Lead: CPT code 01462 denotes anesthesia services administered during any closed procedure of the lower leg, ankle, and foot, covering a broad set of closed orthopedic interventions. This code is routinely used in perioperative billing for anesthesiology teams supporting closed reductions, closed fracture management, and similar procedures in an operating room or procedural suite.
What the code represents and national importance: CPT code 01462 defines anesthesia care for closed procedures on the lower leg, ankle, and foot and is central to reimbursement and reporting for anesthesiology services in these clinical scenarios. It standardizes claims for commonly performed closed orthopedic interventions and informs payment pathways for anesthesiology groups and facilities across the country.
Key payers covered: This publication addresses national coverage and billing considerations for Aetna; Blue Cross Blue Shield; Cigna Health; UnitedHealthcare; and Medicare.
What readers will learn: The briefing provides clinical context for CPT code 01462, outlines typical sites of service, and situates the code among related anesthesia codes. Readers will find an explanation of common clinical uses and associated procedure contexts, a summary of payer coverage scope, and references to related anesthesia and surgical codes for crosswalk and claim-coding purposes. Data not available in the input will be noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 01462 describes anesthesia services provided for any closed procedure of the lower leg, ankle, and foot. The service type is anesthesia for closed orthopedic or soft-tissue procedures involving the lower leg, ankle, and foot. The typical site of service is an operating room or procedural suite where closed reductions, closed fracture management, closed repairs, or other closed interventions on the lower leg, ankle, and foot are performed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 34-year-old male presents to the emergency department after a fall while playing soccer. Imaging demonstrates a displaced closed fracture of the upper end of the right tibia (S82.101A) and a nondisplaced closed fracture of the shaft of the left fibula (S82.202A). The orthopedic team schedules the patient for closed reduction and percutaneous fixation of the right proximal tibial fracture and closed reduction with casting of the left fibular shaft. The anesthesiology team is requested to provide anesthesia for closed procedures of the lower leg, ankle, and foot under code 01462.
The typical clinical workflow: preoperative evaluation by the anesthesia provider (history, airway assessment, ASA physical status assignment), informed consent for anesthesia, preoperative medication and monitoring placement, administration of general anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care with regional anesthesia (e.g., peripheral nerve block) as appropriate, intraoperative anesthetic management and physiological monitoring, emergence and handoff to post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) with documented postoperative pain plan and complications surveillance. Documentation includes the procedure performed, anesthesia technique, timing (start/stop), airway management, intraoperative events, and postoperative disposition.
Coding Specifications
- Below are the most clinically relevant modifiers for anesthesia code
01462, with standard CMS definitions and typical usage.
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
AA | Anesthesia services performed personally by anesthesiologist | Use when an anesthesiologist personally performs and documents the anesthesia service for 01462. |
AD | Medical supervision by a physician; more than four concurrent anesthesia procedures | Use when an anesthesiologist supervises more than four concurrent anesthesia procedures but does not personally perform this case. |
QK | Medical direction of two, three, or four concurrent anesthesia procedures involving qualified individuals | Use when the physician medically directs CRNAs for this case and supervises 2–4 concurrent cases. |
QX | CRNA service: CRNA with medical direction by a physician | Use when a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist provides the anesthesia service under physician medical direction. |
QY | Medical direction of one certified registered nurse anesthetist by an anesthesiologist | Use when the anesthesiologist directs a single CRNA for this case. |
QS | Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) service | Use when the anesthetic provided for 01462 is billed as MAC rather than general or regional anesthesia alone. |
62 | Two surgeons | Use when two surgeons are required for separate surgical procedures on the lower legs or when co-surgery is documented. |
54 | Surgical care only | Use when the anesthesia portion is distinct and only the surgical care portion is relevant for surgical billing context (rare for anesthesia claims; typically used on surgical codes). |
55 | Postoperative management only | Use when anesthesia billing must denote that only postoperative management was provided by a separate practitioner. |
78 | Unplanned return to operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure for a complication | Use when an unplanned return to the OR for the lower leg/ankle/foot occurs and anesthesia services are provided for the repeat procedure. |
59 | Distinct procedural service | Use when another distinct procedure was performed in addition to the primary closed lower leg/ankle/foot procedure and documentation supports separate services. |
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when anesthesia services required substantially greater work than typical for 01462 and documentation supports increased complexity. |
23 | Unusual anesthesia | Use when general anesthesia is administered for a procedure that normally does not require it (e.g., extreme patient factors). |
52 | Reduced services | Use when a planned procedure is partially reduced or not fully performed but anesthesia services were still provided. |
53 | Discontinued procedure | Use when the procedure was started but discontinued and anesthesia was provided up to the point of discontinuation. |
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
207L00000X | Anesthesiology | Physicians specializing in perioperative anesthesia for procedures of lower leg, ankle, and foot. |
367500000X | Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist | CRNAs commonly deliver anesthesia for 01462, either independently or under supervision. |
207RA0401X | Anesthesiology Assistant | Anesthesiology assistants may participate under physician supervision in delivering anesthesia services for these procedures. |
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
S82.101A | Fracture of upper end of right tibia, initial encounter for closed fracture | Primary indication for closed reduction and fixation of the right proximal tibia; direct indication for anesthesia under 01462. |
S82.202A | Fracture of shaft of left fibula, initial encounter for closed fracture | Indicates a contralateral closed fibular shaft fracture that may require closed management and anesthesia during the same or staged procedures. |
M25.571 | Pain in right ankle and joints of right foot | Symptom often associated with ankle/foot trauma and managed perioperatively; may influence perioperative pain plan. |
M25.572 | Pain in left ankle and joints of left foot | Contralateral ankle/foot pain that may affect mobility and postoperative rehabilitation planning. |
S93.401A | Sprain of unspecified ligament of right ankle, initial encounter | Associated soft-tissue injury that can occur with ankle trauma and may be addressed in the same operative episode or influence anesthetic planning. |
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
01464 | Anesthesia for open procedures on bones of lower leg, ankle, and foot; total ankle replacement | Related for open bony procedures; used when a conversion to open fixation or an open procedure is performed instead of closed technique. |
01470 | Anesthesia for procedures on lower leg, ankle, and foot; closed procedures on bones of lower leg, ankle, and foot | Closely related: alternative anesthesia code for closed bone procedures of lower leg/ankle/foot; selection depends on specific procedural details and coding guidance. |
01480 | Anesthesia for procedures on lower leg, ankle, and foot; procedures on nerves, muscles, tendons, fascia, and bursae of lower leg, ankle, and foot | Used when soft-tissue procedures (tendon repair, nerve decompression) are the primary surgical focus rather than bony closed procedures. |
20680 | Removal of implant; deep (e.g., buried wire, pin, screw, metal band, nail, rod or plate) | May be performed in the same episode of care; anesthesia services coded separately for implant removal if performed on lower leg/ankle/foot. |