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CPT 33548: Surgical Ventricular Restoration After Myocardial Infarction

CPT code 33548 represents open surgical ventricular restoration procedures to repair and reshape the left ventricle damaged by myocardial infarction. These complex cardiac surgeries aim to restore ventricular geometry, reduce scar-related dysfunction, and improve hemodynamic performance. Nationally, the code is significant because it captures high-acuity, resource-intensive inpatient cardiac care with implications for surgical outcomes, length of stay, and bundled-payment considerations.

Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for ventricular restoration, typical sites of service, and commonly associated billing modifiers. The publication summarizes benchmark patterns and payer coverage considerations where available, highlights coding and documentation points that affect claim adjudication, and outlines the clinical rationale for the procedure in post-infarction heart failure management.

This analysis is intended for clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts seeking a concise reference to CPT code 33548, including operational and payer-related implications for national practice settings. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 33548 describes surgical procedures that employ various techniques to restore ventricular function, size, and shape after damage from myocardial infarction. The service focuses on reshaping or reconstructing the left ventricle that is enlarged, scarred, or dysfunctional as a result of infarction.

Service type: Open surgical ventricular reconstruction and restoration techniques to repair post-infarction ventricular damage
Typical site of service: Inpatient hospital operating room or cardiac surgery suite, often as part of a staged or combined cardiac surgical admission

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CPT 33548: Surgical Ventricular Restoration After Myocardial Infarction

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Open surgical ventricular reconstruction and restoration techniques to repair post-infarction ventricular damage
Typical site of service: Inpatient hospital operating room or cardiac surgery suite, often as part of a staged or combined cardiac surgical admission

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 62-year-old male with a history of a large anterior myocardial infarction 6 months prior presents with progressive exertional dyspnea, fatigue, and reduced exercise tolerance. Echocardiography demonstrates a dilated left ventricle with an akinetic anterior wall, an apical aneurysm, and an ejection fraction of 25%. Coronary angiography shows patent grafts but extensive scarred myocardium in the left ventricle consistent with remodeling from prior infarction. After multidisciplinary heart team review, the patient is scheduled for surgical ventricular restoration to exclude scarred, dyskinetic myocardium and restore ventricular geometry.

Preoperative workflow includes cardiac surgical consultation, cardiology optimization (medical therapy and device assessment), informed consent discussing risks and benefits, preoperative imaging (transthoracic and/or transesophageal echocardiography, cardiac MRI if needed), and perioperative anesthesia evaluation. The procedure is performed in an inpatient operating room with cardiac surgery and perfusion teams; postoperative care occurs in the cardiothoracic surgical intensive care unit with hemodynamic monitoring, pain control, and staged transition to step-down and outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	Standard default — no modifier	Use when no special circumstances apply to the service
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the work, time, or intensity substantially exceeds typical for the procedure (document justification)
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially discontinued or not completed as originally intended
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is halted due to extenuating circumstances after anesthesia has begun
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons with distinct roles perform portions of the ventricular restoration
`63`	Procedure performed on infants and children	Not commonly used for this adult procedure; include when applicable for pediatric cases
`78`	Return to OR for related procedure during postoperative period	Use when an unexpected complication requires reoperation related to the initial ventricular restoration
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when a surgical assistant participates and is separately reported by credentialed provider
`81`	Minimum assistant surgeon	Use when a minimal assistant role is provided and reported appropriately
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when qualified resident not available)	Use when no qualified resident is available and an assistant surgeon performed required tasks
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services	Use when an advanced practice clinician provided a substantial portion of the listed surgical assistance or perioperative services as allowed by payer policy
`23`	Unusual anesthetic	Use when general anesthesia is not used and anesthesia management is unusually complex (rare for this procedure)
`26`	Professional component	Use when reporting only the professional component of a separately payable service (rarely applicable to an operative code)
`QK`	Medical direction of two, three, or four technicians/qualifying individuals	Use when the surgeon medically directs certified registered nurse anesthetists or similar personnel under payor policies

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
208600000X	Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery	Primary specialty performing surgical ventricular restoration
207RC0000X	Interventional Cardiology	Often involved in preoperative coronary assessment and perioperative management
207RH0000X	Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology	May be involved when concomitant arrhythmia surgery or device management is required
208800000X	Physician Assistant	Frequently part of the cardiothoracic surgical team providing perioperative care
363L00000X	Perfusionist	Essential intraoperative specialty for cardiopulmonary bypass management

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`I25.2`	Old myocardial infarction	Identifies prior infarction that produced ventricular scar and remodeling prompting surgical restoration
`I25.10`	Atherosclerotic heart disease of native coronary artery without angina pectoris	Often coexisting coronary disease that may require assessment or revascularization during surgery
`I50.22`	Chronic systolic (congestive) heart failure	Documents reduced ejection fraction and symptomatic heart failure indicating need for ventricular restoration in select patients
`I51.7`	Cardiomegaly	Records enlarged cardiac silhouette and ventricular dilation relevant to surgical indication
`I46.9`	Cardiac arrest, cause unspecified	Included as relevant when peri-infarct arrhythmias or hemodynamic collapse relate to scar; used cautiously and only when clinically applicable

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`33548`	Surgical ventricular restoration — restoring function, size, and shape of the ventricle damaged, enlarged, and scarred by myocardial infarction	Primary operative code for exclusion/reconstruction of scarred left ventricular myocardium in this clinical scenario
`33533`	Coronary artery bypass, vein only, 1 coronary venous graft	May be performed prior to or concomitantly if revascularization is required during the same operation
`33517`	Coronary artery bypass, single arterial graft (e.g., internal mammary)	Performed when arterial grafting is required alongside ventricular reconstruction
`00567`	Anesthesia for procedures on heart and pericardial sac	Anesthesia CPT code typically billed for major open cardiac surgical procedures such as ventricular restoration
`93653`	Mapping and ablation for ventricular tachycardia (catheter)	May be performed preoperatively or postoperatively to address scar-related ventricular arrhythmias associated with the infarcted myocardium
`93458`	Right and left heart catheterization including coronary angiography when performed with left ventriculography	Commonly performed preoperatively for diagnostic coronary assessment and left ventricular function evaluation

33533 – Coronary artery bypass, using arterial graft(s); single arterial graft

CPT-33534-CORONARY-ARTERY-BYPASS-TWO-ARTERIAL-GRAFTS

CPT 33534: Coronary Artery Bypass with Two Arterial Grafts

CPT-33535-THREE-ARTERIAL-CORONARY-BYPASS-GRAFTING

CPT 33535: Three-Arterial Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

CPT-33536-CORONARY-ARTERY-BYPASS-FOUR-OR-MORE-ARTERIAL-GRAFTS

CPT 33536: Coronary Artery Bypass with Four or More Arterial Grafts

CPT-33542-VENTRICULAR-ANEURYSM-RESECTION-AND-REPAIR

CPT 33542: Ventricular Aneurysm Resection and Repair

CPT-33545-POSTINFARCTION-VENTRICULAR-SEPTAL-DEFECT-REPAIR

CPT 33545: Repair of Postinfarction Ventricular Septal Defect

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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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	Standard default — no modifier	Use when no special circumstances apply to the service
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the work, time, or intensity substantially exceeds typical for the procedure (document justification)
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially discontinued or not completed as originally intended
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is halted due to extenuating circumstances after anesthesia has begun
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons with distinct roles perform portions of the ventricular restoration
`63`	Procedure performed on infants and children	Not commonly used for this adult procedure; include when applicable for pediatric cases
`78`	Return to OR for related procedure during postoperative period	Use when an unexpected complication requires reoperation related to the initial ventricular restoration
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when a surgical assistant participates and is separately reported by credentialed provider
`81`	Minimum assistant surgeon	Use when a minimal assistant role is provided and reported appropriately
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when qualified resident not available)	Use when no qualified resident is available and an assistant surgeon performed required tasks
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services	Use when an advanced practice clinician provided a substantial portion of the listed surgical assistance or perioperative services as allowed by payer policy
`23`	Unusual anesthetic	Use when general anesthesia is not used and anesthesia management is unusually complex (rare for this procedure)
`26`	Professional component	Use when reporting only the professional component of a separately payable service (rarely applicable to an operative code)
`QK`	Medical direction of two, three, or four technicians/qualifying individuals	Use when the surgeon medically directs certified registered nurse anesthetists or similar personnel under payor policies

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
208600000X	Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery	Primary specialty performing surgical ventricular restoration
207RC0000X	Interventional Cardiology	Often involved in preoperative coronary assessment and perioperative management
207RH0000X	Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology	May be involved when concomitant arrhythmia surgery or device management is required
208800000X	Physician Assistant	Frequently part of the cardiothoracic surgical team providing perioperative care
363L00000X	Perfusionist	Essential intraoperative specialty for cardiopulmonary bypass management

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`I25.2`	Old myocardial infarction	Identifies prior infarction that produced ventricular scar and remodeling prompting surgical restoration
`I25.10`	Atherosclerotic heart disease of native coronary artery without angina pectoris	Often coexisting coronary disease that may require assessment or revascularization during surgery
`I50.22`	Chronic systolic (congestive) heart failure	Documents reduced ejection fraction and symptomatic heart failure indicating need for ventricular restoration in select patients
`I51.7`	Cardiomegaly	Records enlarged cardiac silhouette and ventricular dilation relevant to surgical indication
`I46.9`	Cardiac arrest, cause unspecified	Included as relevant when peri-infarct arrhythmias or hemodynamic collapse relate to scar; used cautiously and only when clinically applicable

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`33548`	Surgical ventricular restoration — restoring function, size, and shape of the ventricle damaged, enlarged, and scarred by myocardial infarction	Primary operative code for exclusion/reconstruction of scarred left ventricular myocardium in this clinical scenario
`33533`	Coronary artery bypass, vein only, 1 coronary venous graft	May be performed prior to or concomitantly if revascularization is required during the same operation
`33517`	Coronary artery bypass, single arterial graft (e.g., internal mammary)	Performed when arterial grafting is required alongside ventricular reconstruction
`00567`	Anesthesia for procedures on heart and pericardial sac	Anesthesia CPT code typically billed for major open cardiac surgical procedures such as ventricular restoration
`93653`	Mapping and ablation for ventricular tachycardia (catheter)	May be performed preoperatively or postoperatively to address scar-related ventricular arrhythmias associated with the infarcted myocardium
`93458`	Right and left heart catheterization including coronary angiography when performed with left ventriculography	Commonly performed preoperatively for diagnostic coronary assessment and left ventricular function evaluation

33533 – Coronary artery bypass, using arterial graft(s); single arterial graft

CPT-33534-CORONARY-ARTERY-BYPASS-TWO-ARTERIAL-GRAFTS

CPT 33534: Coronary Artery Bypass with Two Arterial Grafts

CPT-33535-THREE-ARTERIAL-CORONARY-BYPASS-GRAFTING

CPT 33535: Three-Arterial Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

CPT-33536-CORONARY-ARTERY-BYPASS-FOUR-OR-MORE-ARTERIAL-GRAFTS

CPT 33536: Coronary Artery Bypass with Four or More Arterial Grafts

CPT-33542-VENTRICULAR-ANEURYSM-RESECTION-AND-REPAIR

CPT 33542: Ventricular Aneurysm Resection and Repair

CPT-33545-POSTINFARCTION-VENTRICULAR-SEPTAL-DEFECT-REPAIR

CPT 33545: Repair of Postinfarction Ventricular Septal Defect

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 33548: Surgical Ventricular Restoration After Myocardial Infarction

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Billing Code Overview

OpenPayer

CPT 33548: Surgical Ventricular Restoration After Myocardial Infarction

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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