Summary & Overview
CPT 33985: Pediatric Central Cannula Removal via Open Sternotomy/Thoracotomy
CPT code 33985 denotes the surgical removal of a central cannula for extracorporeal circulation performed through an open sternotomy or thoracotomy in pediatric patients from birth through five years of age. This procedure is a discrete, technically complex component of pediatric cardiothoracic surgical care, relevant to hospitals, children's specialty centers, and payers overseeing high-acuity pediatric cardiac services nationwide. Accurate coding ensures appropriate identification of resource-intensive operative care and supports quality measurement and reimbursement alignment for neonatal and infant cardiac surgery.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical and billing overview of CPT code 33985, context on typical settings and service type, and guidance on common documentation elements tied to pediatric cardiothoracic cannula removal. The publication covers benchmark considerations, common billing modifiers in use, and implications for hospital billing workflows. Where specific payer policy details or claim-level benchmarks are not available in the source input, the report notes that data is not available in the input and focuses on clinical description and coding implications for a national audience.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 33985 describes the surgical removal of a central cannula used for extracorporeal circulation through an open sternotomy or thoracotomy approach in a child from birth through five years of age. This procedure involves the operative extraction of a centrally placed cannula that supported cardiopulmonary bypass or other extracorporeal support.
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Service type: Surgical procedure (pediatric cardiothoracic surgery)
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Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or cardiothoracic surgical suite, performed via open sternotomy or thoracotomy
Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an infant or toddler (birth through five years) who previously required cardiopulmonary bypass support during open cardiac surgery and now requires removal of the central cannula used for extracorporeal circulation. Example scenario: a 9-month-old with repaired congenital ventricular septal defect undergoing planned removal of the central cannula at the conclusion of the repair. The child arrives to the operating room intubated and anesthetized; a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon performs an open sternotomy or reopens a recent thoracotomy incision, inspects bypass cannulation sites, removes the central arterial and venous cannulae, achieves hemostasis, places suture or chest drains as needed, and closes the chest. Intraoperative monitoring includes arterial lines, central venous access, transesophageal or transthoracic echocardiography, and cardiopulmonary bypass team support. Postoperative workflow includes transfer to the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit for ventilator and hemodynamic support, chest tube management, antimicrobial prophylaxis as indicated, and serial imaging and labs to monitor for bleeding, infection, or residual cardiac dysfunction.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier; standard procedure reporting | Use when no special circumstances apply. |