CPT code 33320 represents surgical suture repair of the heart's great vessels — including the aorta, pulmonary arteries and veins, or the vena cava — performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. This code captures an important category of major cardiovascular surgical interventions that can be urgent or elective and that often occur at tertiary hospitals and specialized cardiac centers. Nationally, accurate coding for these procedures affects clinical registries, hospital quality measures, and payer reimbursement for high-acuity cardiovascular care.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for the procedure, expected sites of service, and which payers commonly adjudicate claims for such cardiac operations. The publication outlines benchmarks and coding guidance, highlights payer considerations and common modifiers used with high-acuity surgical claims, and summarizes policy or billing updates where available. Where input data was not provided, the report notes that information is not available. This national summary is intended for coding professionals, hospital billing staff, and policy analysts who need a clear, authoritative reference for CPT code 33320.