Summary & Overview
CPT 31636: Bronchoscopy with Airway Stent Placement
Headline: CPT code 31636: Bronchoscopy with Airway Stent Placement — clinical scope and payer coverage
Lead: CPT code 31636 denotes bronchoscopy with placement of one or more stents in a narrowed bronchus, an important therapeutic intervention for airway obstruction. The procedure can be performed with rigid or flexible bronchoscopy, may use fluoroscopic guidance, and can include dilation of the stenotic segment prior to stent deployment.
CPT code 31636 matters nationally because airway stent placement addresses critical airway compromise from benign or malignant disease, affects hospital and ambulatory procedural volumes, and has implications for resource use, device costs, and postprocedural care. Key payers considered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. BUCA is an internal benchmark and is not listed as a payer.
Readers will learn: the clinical context and typical settings for CPT code 31636; the payer landscape and which major payers cover the service; expected site-of-service patterns (hospital OR/procedure suite and ambulatory surgery centers); and common billing considerations such as use of bronchoscopy techniques and adjunctive dilation. Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes are noted as unavailable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 31636 describes bronchoscopy with placement of one or more airway stents. The procedure may be performed using a rigid or flexible bronchoscope, with or without fluoroscopic guidance. When indicated, dilation of the narrowed bronchial segment is performed before stent placement.
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Service type: Therapeutic interventional pulmonary procedure involving airway stent placement
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Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or procedure suite; may be performed in an ambulatory surgery center when appropriate
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old man with a history of smoking and prior squamous cell carcinoma of the lung presents with progressive dyspnea and recurrent post-obstructive pneumonia. Imaging and bronchoscopy demonstrate a focal malignant-appearing stenosis of the right mainstem bronchus causing symptomatic airflow limitation. The interventional pulmonology team schedules a combination flexible bronchoscopy with endobronchial stent placement and possible dilatation under conscious sedation or general anesthesia. The workflow includes pre-procedure evaluation (history, chest CT, coagulation review), informed consent, bronchoscopy (rigid or flexible) to visualize the airway, optional balloon or mechanical dilatation of the stenotic segment, stent selection and deployment (silicone or self-expanding metallic stent), verification of stent position (bronchoscopic visualization ± fluoroscopy), management of bleeding or complications, and post-procedure monitoring in PACU with discharge instructions and follow-up bronchoscopy planned as needed.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work, time, or complexity substantially exceeds typical for 31636 (document with supporting operative note and time). |