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CPT 30915: Ethmoid Artery Ligation via Nasal Incision

CPT code 30915 describes surgical ligation of the ethmoid arteries via an incision in the lateral nasal cavity to control bleeding from the ethmoid region. Nationally, this procedure is relevant for management of refractory epistaxis or arterial hemorrhage that cannot be controlled by conservative or endoscopic measures. It represents a targeted vascular control operation within otolaryngology and facial/skull-base surgery.

Key payers in coverage discussions include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the procedure, expected sites of service, and which payers are commonly involved. The publication outlines available benchmarks, coding relationships, and policy considerations that affect billing and authorization for this surgical service.

The report provides practical reference material for billing and coding teams, compliance officers, and clinical planners: definitions of the service, likely clinical indications, payer presence in national coverage discussions, and guidance on where to find more detailed policy or reimbursement information. Data not available in the input is clearly noted where applicable.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 30915 describes a surgical procedure in which the surgeon makes an incision in the lateral wall of the nasal cavity to access and ligate the ethmoid arteries. The procedure involves identifying the ethmoid arterial branches and securing them using clips or sutures to control epistaxis or arterial bleeding originating from the ethmoid region.

Service type: Surgical arterial ligation of ethmoid arteries
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center (nasal cavity/ethmoid region incision and arterial ligation)

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CPT 30915: Ethmoid Artery Ligation via Nasal Incision

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Surgical arterial ligation of ethmoid arteries
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center (nasal cavity/ethmoid region incision and arterial ligation)

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is an adult with recurrent or severe posterior epistaxis originating from the sphenopalatine/ethmoid arterial branches that is not controlled by anterior nasal packing, topical vasoconstrictors, or endoscopic cautery. The patient presents to the emergency department or otolaryngology clinic with active bleeding, often after failed conservative measures, or with recurrent significant bleeding requiring definitive surgical control. Preoperative evaluation includes coagulation studies, review of antithrombotic medications, nasal endoscopy to localize the bleeding source, and informed consent discussing risks such as bleeding, infection, septal perforation, anosmia, and need for general anesthesia.

In the clinical workflow the patient is typically admitted or scheduled for an operating room procedure under general anesthesia. The otolaryngologist performs endoscopic or external exposure of the posterior nasal cavity, makes an incision in the lateral nasal wall to identify ethmoid arterial branches, and ligates or clips those vessels to stop hemorrhage. Postoperative care includes observation for recurrent bleeding, nasal packing or splints as needed, pain control, topical saline, and follow-up endoscopic assessment.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when ligation is performed on both sides during the same operative session
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when this procedure is performed in addition to unrelated procedures in the same operative session
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the service is partially reduced or not completed as described in the full procedure
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but halted due to extenuating circumstances
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons perform distinct portions of the procedure simultaneously
`66`	Surgical team	Use when multiple surgeons participate as a surgical team and meet payer criteria
`78`	Return to OR for related procedure during postoperative period	Use when the patient returns to the operating room for a related procedure for complications of the initial surgery
`79`	Unrelated procedure by same physician during postoperative period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period (not in modifier list provided)
`26`	Professional component	Use when only the professional component is billed separate from technical component (rare for operative procedures)
`73`	Discontinued outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center prior to anesthesia	Use when the outpatient procedure is cancelled after patient preparation but before induction of anesthesia
`74`	Discontinued outpatient after anesthesia (not in provided list)	Data not available in the input.
`AS`	Ambulatory surgery center facility service	Use to indicate services rendered in an ambulatory surgery center when required by payer
`RT`	Right side	Use to indicate the procedure was performed on the right nasal cavity when side-specific reporting is required
`LT`	Left side (not in provided list)	Data not available in the input.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207W00000X	Otolaryngology	Primary specialty performing endonasal arterial ligation and nasal surgery
207L00000X	Facial Plastic Surgery	May perform related open or endoscopic procedures for vascular control
207X00000X	Head and Neck Surgery	Surgeons with head and neck focus who manage complex sinonasal bleeding
207K00000X	Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery	May be involved if reconstruction is required after extensive exposure
207N00000X	Surgery of the Nose (Otolaryngology subspecialty)	Subspecialists performing advanced endoscopic nasal vascular procedures

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`R04.0`	Epistaxis	Primary indication for arterial ligation when bleeding is severe or refractory to conservative measures
`I85.01`	Esophageal varices with bleeding (not typical)	Data not available in the input.
`D68.32`	Hemorrhagic disorder due to intrinsic circulating anticoagulants	Relevant when coagulopathy contributes to recurrent or severe nasal bleeding requiring surgical control
`D69.5`	Secondary thrombocytopenia	Low platelet counts increase bleeding risk and may necessitate definitive surgical control
`K00.0`	Anomalies of tooth position (not related)	Data not available in the input.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`31276`	Endoscopic sinus surgery, with ethmoidectomy; total (anterior and posterior)	Performed when concurrent ethmoid disease requires surgical management during vascular control
`36476`	Endovascular embolization, therapeutic, percutaneous, arterial, head and neck; with permanent material	Alternative or adjunctive method to ligation for controlling posterior epistaxis in select cases
`30901`	Control of epistaxis; anterior, simple	Performed prior to escalation to arterial ligation for anterior bleeds; less invasive first-line treatment
`30903`	Control of epistaxis; posterior, with packing	Often attempted as an immediate temporizing measure before definitive arterial ligation
`31237`	Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with control of epistaxis, posterior	Endoscopic nasal assessment and control techniques commonly used in the same operative session

CPT 30901: Simple Anterior Epistaxis Hemostasis Procedure

CPT-30903-COMPLEX-ANTERIOR-EPISTAXIS-CONTROL

CPT 30903: Complex Anterior Epistaxis Control

CPT-30905-POSTERIOR-EPISTAXIS-INITIAL-CONTROL

CPT 30905: Initial Control of Posterior Nasal Bleeding

CPT-30906-SUBSEQUENT-VISIT-FOLLOW-UP-CARE

CPT 30906: Subsequent Visit After Initial Treatment

CPT-30920-INTERNAL-MAXILLARY-ARTERY-LIGATION-INTRAORAL

CPT 30920: Internal Maxillary Artery Ligation, Intraoral Approach

CPT-30930-INFERIOR-TURBINATE-FRACTURE-TURBINATE-REDUCTION

CPT 30930: Inferior Turbinate Fracture for Nasal Airway Obstruction

CPT-30999-UNLISTED-NASAL-PROCEDURE

CPT 30999: Unlisted Procedure, Nose

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when ligation is performed on both sides during the same operative session
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when this procedure is performed in addition to unrelated procedures in the same operative session
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the service is partially reduced or not completed as described in the full procedure
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but halted due to extenuating circumstances
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons perform distinct portions of the procedure simultaneously
`66`	Surgical team	Use when multiple surgeons participate as a surgical team and meet payer criteria
`78`	Return to OR for related procedure during postoperative period	Use when the patient returns to the operating room for a related procedure for complications of the initial surgery
`79`	Unrelated procedure by same physician during postoperative period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period (not in modifier list provided)
`26`	Professional component	Use when only the professional component is billed separate from technical component (rare for operative procedures)
`73`	Discontinued outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center prior to anesthesia	Use when the outpatient procedure is cancelled after patient preparation but before induction of anesthesia
`74`	Discontinued outpatient after anesthesia (not in provided list)	Data not available in the input.
`AS`	Ambulatory surgery center facility service	Use to indicate services rendered in an ambulatory surgery center when required by payer
`RT`	Right side	Use to indicate the procedure was performed on the right nasal cavity when side-specific reporting is required
`LT`	Left side (not in provided list)	Data not available in the input.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207W00000X	Otolaryngology	Primary specialty performing endonasal arterial ligation and nasal surgery
207L00000X	Facial Plastic Surgery	May perform related open or endoscopic procedures for vascular control
207X00000X	Head and Neck Surgery	Surgeons with head and neck focus who manage complex sinonasal bleeding
207K00000X	Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery	May be involved if reconstruction is required after extensive exposure
207N00000X	Surgery of the Nose (Otolaryngology subspecialty)	Subspecialists performing advanced endoscopic nasal vascular procedures

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`R04.0`	Epistaxis	Primary indication for arterial ligation when bleeding is severe or refractory to conservative measures
`I85.01`	Esophageal varices with bleeding (not typical)	Data not available in the input.
`D68.32`	Hemorrhagic disorder due to intrinsic circulating anticoagulants	Relevant when coagulopathy contributes to recurrent or severe nasal bleeding requiring surgical control
`D69.5`	Secondary thrombocytopenia	Low platelet counts increase bleeding risk and may necessitate definitive surgical control
`K00.0`	Anomalies of tooth position (not related)	Data not available in the input.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`31276`	Endoscopic sinus surgery, with ethmoidectomy; total (anterior and posterior)	Performed when concurrent ethmoid disease requires surgical management during vascular control
`36476`	Endovascular embolization, therapeutic, percutaneous, arterial, head and neck; with permanent material	Alternative or adjunctive method to ligation for controlling posterior epistaxis in select cases
`30901`	Control of epistaxis; anterior, simple	Performed prior to escalation to arterial ligation for anterior bleeds; less invasive first-line treatment
`30903`	Control of epistaxis; posterior, with packing	Often attempted as an immediate temporizing measure before definitive arterial ligation
`31237`	Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with control of epistaxis, posterior	Endoscopic nasal assessment and control techniques commonly used in the same operative session

CPT 30901: Simple Anterior Epistaxis Hemostasis Procedure

CPT-30903-COMPLEX-ANTERIOR-EPISTAXIS-CONTROL

CPT 30903: Complex Anterior Epistaxis Control

CPT-30905-POSTERIOR-EPISTAXIS-INITIAL-CONTROL

CPT 30905: Initial Control of Posterior Nasal Bleeding

CPT-30906-SUBSEQUENT-VISIT-FOLLOW-UP-CARE

CPT 30906: Subsequent Visit After Initial Treatment

CPT-30920-INTERNAL-MAXILLARY-ARTERY-LIGATION-INTRAORAL

CPT 30920: Internal Maxillary Artery Ligation, Intraoral Approach

CPT-30930-INFERIOR-TURBINATE-FRACTURE-TURBINATE-REDUCTION

CPT 30930: Inferior Turbinate Fracture for Nasal Airway Obstruction

CPT-30999-UNLISTED-NASAL-PROCEDURE

CPT 30999: Unlisted Procedure, Nose

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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CPT 30915: Ethmoid Artery Ligation via Nasal Incision

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Billing Code Overview

OpenPayer

CPT 30915: Ethmoid Artery Ligation via Nasal Incision

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

CPT 30915: Ethmoid Artery Ligation via Nasal Incision

Sign up for cpt 30915 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

CPT 30915: Ethmoid Artery Ligation via Nasal Incision

Sign up for cpt 30915 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What clinical situation does CPT 30915 cover?

Where is this procedure usually performed and what preoperative workup is described?

Which modifiers are commonly applicable to CPT 30915?

What related CPT codes might appear on the same claim or as alternatives?

Which payers are associated with coverage discussions for CPT 30915?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What clinical situation does CPT 30915 cover?

Where is this procedure usually performed and what preoperative workup is described?

Which modifiers are commonly applicable to CPT 30915?

What related CPT codes might appear on the same claim or as alternatives?

Which payers are associated with coverage discussions for CPT 30915?

References