Summary & Overview
CPT 0339T: Percutaneous Bilateral Renal Artery Radiofrequency Ablation
CPT code 0339T denotes a physician-performed percutaneous procedure delivering radiofrequency energy to the endoluminal surface of both renal arteries. This emerging endovascular intervention targets the renal arterial wall and is relevant for advanced interventional radiology and vascular surgery services. Nationally, the code matters because it captures a specialized, device-driven service where coding precision affects coverage determinations, site-of-service designation, and hospital outpatient billing.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical intent and typical delivery settings, plus national benchmarking context where available. The publication outlines expected service lines and common billing considerations tied to this procedure and summarizes where practice patterns intersect with payer policy.
This report provides clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts with: an explanation of the code and clinical context; expected sites of service and service type; a summary of payers that commonly adjudicate claims for this service; and guidance on what information is not available in the input. Data not available in the input includes associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and detailed payer-specific coverage policies.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0339T describes a percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of the endoluminal surface of bilateral renal arteries. The procedure involves a physician-performed, image-guided percutaneous approach to deliver radiofrequency energy to the interior lining of the renal arteries on both sides of the body.
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Service type: Percutaneous endovascular radiofrequency ablation procedure
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Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center with interventional radiology or vascular surgery capability
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 55–75-year-old with treatment-resistant hypertension despite multi-drug therapy and lifestyle measures or a patient with sympathetic-mediated renal artery-related pain syndromes being evaluated for percutaneous renal denervation. The patient presents to an outpatient vascular interventional suite or hospital-based cath lab after referral from cardiology, nephrology, or hypertension specialty clinic. Pre-procedure workflow includes informed consent, review of medications (anticoagulants managed per institutional policy), baseline renal function labs and imaging (CT angiography or duplex ultrasound to assess renal artery anatomy and stenosis), and assessment for contraindications (e.g., significant atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, renal artery anatomy unsuitable for device access).
On the day of service, the patient undergoes conscious sedation or monitored anesthesia care provided in the interventional suite. Vascular access (typically femoral or radial) is obtained, diagnostic renal angiography is performed to confirm vessel size and plan ablation, and the physician advances a percutaneous catheter to each renal artery. Radiofrequency energy is delivered endoluminally to both renal arteries according to device and protocol parameters. Hemostasis is achieved at the access site and the patient is monitored post-procedure for hemodynamic stability and renal function before discharge or brief inpatient observation. Follow-up includes blood pressure monitoring, renal function labs, and antihypertensive regimen adjustment as clinically indicated.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 |