CPT code 33502 denotes a pediatric cardiothoracic surgical procedure to ligate a coronary artery that anomalously originates from the pulmonary artery. The operation addresses a life‑threatening congenital anomaly in which coronary-to-pulmonary arterial flow can lead to volume and pressure overload of the pulmonary circulation, progressive congestive heart failure, and failure to thrive in infants. Nationally, this code reflects a high-acuity inpatient surgical service performed by specialized pediatric cardiac surgery teams.

Key payers covered in this national overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find clinical context for the indication and typical inpatient surgical setting, plus guidance on common billing considerations for high‑complexity congenital cardiac procedures. The publication outlines typical service characteristics, expected sites of service, and commonly associated modifiers (listed separately), while noting where supplemental data were not provided.

This resource is intended to inform clinical administrators, coding professionals, and policy analysts about the procedural intent of CPT code 33502, payer relevance, and the operational context in which the code is used. It also signals topics readers can expect to explore further in the full publication: utilization benchmarks, payer policy summaries, and coding nuances for complex pediatric cardiac surgery.