Summary & Overview
CPT 01940: Anesthesia for Lumbar/Sacral Image-Guided Neurolytic Procedure
CPT code 01940 represents anesthesia services for percutaneous image-guided destruction procedures using a neurolytic agent directed at the lumbar or sacral spine or spinal cord. This code captures the anesthesia component of complex, image-guided neurolytic interventions intended to manage refractory pain or neuralgia by chemical ablation. Nationally, accurate use of this code matters for clinical documentation, appropriate payment for anesthesia teams, and clear delineation of services between interventionalists and anesthesia providers.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The review outlines how payers typically classify and reimburse anesthesia for percutaneous neurolytic procedures, common coverage considerations, and relevant billing contexts.
Readers will learn the clinical context of the service, typical sites of care, and the aspects of billing that affect anesthesiology documentation and coding. The publication summarizes benchmark elements relevant to payer coverage and national practice patterns, highlights areas where policy updates could influence claims, and clarifies the scope of services represented by the code. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable, and the focus remains on the national implications for providers and payers when reporting CPT code 01940.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 01940 describes anesthesia services provided for percutaneous image-guided destruction procedures using a neurolytic agent directed at the lumbar or sacral spine or spinal cord. The procedure involves neurolytic interruption of targeted neural structures and requires anesthesia management tailored to image-guided, percutaneous techniques.
Service type: Anesthesia for image-guided percutaneous neurolytic destruction
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room, interventional radiology suite, or ambulatory surgical center
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 55-year-old with chronic, refractory lumbar radicular pain following prior lumbar spine surgery and multiple conservative treatments. The pain is neuropathic, localized to the lumbar/sacral nerve distribution, with diagnostic imaging confirming nerve root pathology and pain reproduction on targeted diagnostic blocks. The interventional pain physician schedules a percutaneous, image-guided neurolytic procedure targeting lumbar or sacral nerve roots to provide longer-term pain relief.
The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure evaluation (history, physical, informed consent, medication reconciliation, anticoagulation management), procedural planning with review of recent imaging (MRI/CT), and documentation of prior diagnostic nerve block responses. On the day of service the patient undergoes monitored anesthesia care or general anesthesia depending on comorbidities and procedure complexity. Under fluoroscopic or CT guidance the interventionalist advances a needle to the target lumbar or sacral neural structure and injects a neurolytic agent (for example, phenol or alcohol) to chemically ablate the pain-generating nerve fibers. Post-procedure monitoring occurs in a recovery area with neurological checks, pain assessment, and discharge instructions. Documentation includes indication, imaging guidance, neurolytic agent and volume, levels treated, type of anesthesia, informed consent, and post-procedure condition.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased Procedural Services |