Summary & Overview
CPT 35211: Repair of Ruptured Intrathoracic Vessel with Cardiopulmonary Bypass
CPT code 35211 describes open surgical repair of a ruptured intrathoracic vessel performed with cardiopulmonary bypass. This procedure is an acute, high-acuity cardiothoracic vascular intervention typically performed in an operating room within an inpatient tertiary care hospital. Nationally, the code captures emergent and complex vascular repairs where bypass support is required, making it relevant to policy discussions on surgical capacity, resource utilization, and payment for high-complexity cardiothoracic care.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a compact overview of clinical context, typical sites of service, and common procedure attributes tied to CPT code 35211. The publication outlines benchmark considerations for high-acuity cardiothoracic procedures, highlights how payer coverage patterns can affect access and facility resource planning, and summarizes policy-relevant factors affecting coding and billing for emergent intrathoracic vascular repairs. Service-level details and procedural context are provided to aid coding professionals, billing analysts, and health policy stakeholders in understanding the clinical and operational implications of claims that use CPT code 35211.
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 35211 describes surgical repair of a ruptured intrathoracic vessel performed through an appropriate incision with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. The procedure addresses intrathoracic vascular injuries or ruptures requiring open surgical control and reconstruction.
Service Type: Open cardiothoracic vascular repair with cardiopulmonary bypass
Typical Site of Service: Operating room in an inpatient or tertiary care hospital setting (cardiothoracic surgery)
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old male presents to the emergency department after blunt chest trauma from a motor vehicle collision. He is hypotensive with expanding hemothorax on chest tube output and CTA of the chest demonstrates active extravasation from an intrathoracic vessel consistent with a ruptured thoracic aortic branch. The patient is taken emergently to the operating room. An appropriate thoracotomy incision is selected based on the vessel location. The cardiothoracic surgical team places the patient on cardiopulmonary bypass to control hemorrhage and obtain a bloodless field, then performs primary repair of the ruptured intrathoracic vessel with sutures or patch graft as indicated. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and vascular imaging guide repair. Postoperatively the patient is transferred to the cardiothoracic intensive care unit for hemodynamic monitoring, ventilatory support as needed, and anticoagulation management per protocol. Typical workflow includes preoperative consent and stabilization, rapid transport to OR, cardiopulmonary bypass initiation, definitive vascular repair, hemostasis confirmation, chest closure, and ICU-level postoperative care.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work or time substantially exceeds typical for 35211 (document justification). |