Summary & Overview
CPT 34843: Fenestrated Endograft Repair of Visceral Aorta
CPT code 34843 captures a high-complexity endovascular procedure: placement of a fenestrated aortic endograft to repair the visceral segment of the abdominal aorta, with concurrent placement of three visceral artery endoprostheses. This intervention addresses aneurysms or other pathology involving the celiac, superior mesenteric, and renal arteries where preservation of branch vessel flow is required. Nationally, the code represents advanced vascular and interventional radiology services with implications for hospital resource use, device costs, and post-procedure care.
Key payers included in the discussion are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the procedure, typical sites of service, and the kinds of benchmarks and policy topics commonly linked to this service line, such as utilization patterns, coding and billing considerations for fenestrated endografts, and payer coverage trends. The publication also outlines where to find performance and reimbursement benchmarks, recent policy updates affecting endovascular aortic repair, and practical coding notes relevant to billing teams and revenue cycle staff.
Data not available in the input: associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and detailed payer-specific reimbursement rates.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 34843 describes placement, under radiological guidance, of a fenestrated endograft with fenestrations (holes) to repair the visceral aorta (the upper abdominal aorta involving the celiac, superior mesenteric, and renal arteries). The procedure includes insertion of the main fenestrated aortic endograft and placement of three additional visceral artery endoprostheses to maintain perfusion of branch vessels.
Service Type: Endovascular aortic repair with fenestrated endograft and visceral branch stents
Typical Site of Service: Hospital outpatient department or hospital operating room with interventional radiology or vascular surgery support
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 72-year-old male with a 6.2 cm juxtarenal and suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm involving the visceral segment (celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and both renal arteries) is evaluated by a vascular surgery and interventional radiology team. The patient has hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stage 3 chronic kidney disease; he is deemed high risk for open repair. After multidisciplinary discussion and preoperative planning with high-resolution CT angiography and three-dimensional reconstruction, a fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) is scheduled under radiologic guidance.
On the day of service the patient is brought to a hybrid operating room/radiology suite. Under general anesthesia, bilateral femoral arterial access is obtained. Using fluoroscopic and angiographic guidance, the surgeon deploys a custom fenestrated aortic endograft across the visceral aorta to exclude the aneurysm while maintaining perfusion to the celiac, superior mesenteric, and renal arteries. Three additional visceral artery endoprostheses (stents) are then placed through the fenestrations to seal and secure flow into the target vessels. Completion angiography confirms exclusion of the aneurysm sac, patency of visceral branches, and absence of endoleak. The patient is recovered in a monitored setting and admitted for overnight observation with post-procedure imaging and renal function monitoring.
Typical site of service: hybrid operating room or interventional radiology suite within a hospital (inpatient or same-day observation).
Service type: Endovascular fenestrated aortic aneurysm repair with visceral artery stent grafting under radiologic guidance.
Common payors for authorization and claims processing: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, BUCA, Medicare.
Coding Specifications
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