Summary & Overview
CPT 33675: Closure of Multiple Ventricular Septal Defects
CPT code 33675 represents surgical closure of several ventricular septal defects using sutures or patch grafts to stop the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in the ventricles. This cardiac surgical code is clinically significant because ventricular septal defects can impair oxygen delivery and require timely repair, often in an inpatient surgical setting. Nationally, such procedures are a core element of congenital cardiac surgery services and affect hospital surgical volumes, resource allocation, and perioperative planning.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical and billing overview of the procedure, common payer coverage considerations, typical sites of service, and the benchmarks and policy context that commonly influence payment and utilization for complex cardiac surgery. The publication outlines claim coding context, common modifiers used with this code (listed separately), and areas where policy updates or payer edits most frequently arise.
This summary is intended to give clinicians, coders, and policy analysts a clear national-level snapshot of CPT code 33675, emphasizing clinical purpose, expected site of service, and the payer landscape underlying coverage and reimbursement discussions.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 33675 describes a surgical procedure in which the provider closes multiple ventricular septal defects using sutures or patch grafts to prevent mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood between the heart's ventricles. This procedure is a form of cardiac congenital defect repair.
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Service type: Surgical cardiac procedure for congenital ventricular septal defect closure
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Typical site of service: Inpatient hospital operating room or cardiac surgery suite
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 6-month-old infant presents with a holosystolic murmur, failure to thrive, and frequent respiratory infections. Echocardiography demonstrates multiple perimembranous and muscular ventricular septal defects (VSDs) with evidence of left-to-right shunting, chamber enlargement, and risk of pulmonary overcirculation. After multidisciplinary review including pediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, the patient is scheduled for open surgical repair.
The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation (echocardiogram, chest radiograph, ECG, labs), anesthesia assessment, median sternotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass, exposure of the ventricular septum, closure of multiple defects using sutures and/or patch grafts (autologous pericardium or synthetic patch), intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography to confirm repair, hemostasis, chest closure, and postoperative transfer to pediatric intensive care for ventilatory and hemodynamic support. The episode of care covers inpatient perioperative management, possible intensive monitoring for arrhythmia or residual shunt, and discharge planning with cardiology follow-up.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
62 | Two surgeons | Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons during complex VSD repair. |