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CPT 35602: Carotid-to-Carotid Bypass Using Prosthetic Graft

CPT code 35602 represents a carotid–carotid bypass using a non‑vein graft, commonly a prosthetic tube graft, to reroute arterial flow between carotid arteries. The procedure is performed to preserve cerebral perfusion when one carotid artery or nearby vessels are blocked, narrowed, or intentionally occluded during procedures such as aortic repair. Nationally, this is an important high‑complexity vascular surgical code with implications for resource use, perioperative risk management, and specialized surgical capacity.

Key payers referenced in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical context for CPT code 35602, typical sites of service, and the service type. The publication summarizes national benchmarking considerations, expected settings of care, and policy and billing considerations that affect coverage and claim adjudication. The content also outlines common clinical scenarios prompting use of this code and highlights where further payer‑specific policy detail may be required. Data not available in the input for specific modifiers, associated taxonomies, ICD‑10 diagnoses, related codes, and detailed payer policy language.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 35602 describes creation of a bypass from one carotid artery to the contralateral carotid artery using a non‑vein graft (for example, a prosthetic tube graft). This procedure reroutes arterial blood flow in the neck to maintain cerebral and head perfusion when a carotid artery or adjacent vessels are occluded, critically narrowed, or intentionally covered during procedures such as aortic repair.

Service Type: Vascular surgical bypass of the carotid arteries using prosthetic graft material.

Typical Site of Service: Hospital operating room or tertiary care vascular surgery center; inpatient or ambulatory surgical setting depending on clinical indication and complexity.

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CPT 35602: Carotid-to-Carotid Bypass Using Prosthetic Graft

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Billing Code Overview

Service Type: Vascular surgical bypass of the carotid arteries using prosthetic graft material.

Typical Site of Service: Hospital operating room or tertiary care vascular surgery center; inpatient or ambulatory surgical setting depending on clinical indication and complexity.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is a 68-year-old male with progressive right-sided carotid occlusive disease and contralateral high-grade stenosis who presents with recurrent transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) despite maximal medical therapy. Preoperative evaluation includes carotid duplex ultrasound showing an occluded right internal carotid artery and 80% stenosis of the left internal carotid artery, CTA of the neck and chest to define anatomy, and cardiac evaluation to assess surgical risk. The vascular surgery team plans a cross-neck carotid bypass using a prosthetic tube graft (CPT 35602) to re-establish flow to the occluded carotid circulation and protect cerebral perfusion during an anticipated staged aortic arch or complex carotid reconstruction.

Perioperative workflow: the patient is admitted, consented, and optimized (antiplatelet management, blood pressure control). In the operating room under general anesthesia, bilateral neck exposures are performed, the prosthetic graft is measured and tunneled subcutaneously across the neck, and end-to-side anastomoses are constructed between the donor and recipient carotid arteries. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (EEG/SSEP) and completion angiography or duplex confirm patency. Postoperative care includes ICU monitoring for neurologic status, blood pressure control, antiplatelet therapy, and staged imaging prior to discharge and follow-up surveillance duplex ultrasound.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`50`	Bilateral procedure	When bilateral carotid bypass procedures are performed during the same operative session involving distinct separate sites

59 | Distinct procedural service | When a separate unlisted carotid or neck procedure is performed that is not typically reported with the bypass but is distinct and separate

78 | Return to operating room for procedure following initial service | When an unplanned return to the OR for a related procedure occurs during the global period

79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period | When an unrelated surgical procedure is performed during the global period

24 | Unrelated E/M service by the same physician during the postoperative period | For unrelated evaluation and management visits during the global period

26 | Professional component | When billing separates the professional component of imaging or vascular lab studies used intra- or postoperatively

TC | Technical component | When billing separates the technical component of imaging or vascular lab studies

GC | Service performed under a teaching physician?s supervision | When the service is performed by a resident under a teaching physician who documents participation

P6 | Organ/tissue replaced by transplant | Rarely applicable; used if concurrent carotid transplant/complex reconstruction with grafting meeting transplant definitions (infrequent)

LT | Left side | To indicate the procedure involves the left carotid artery when laterality is required

RT | Right side | To indicate the procedure involves the right carotid artery when laterality is required

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207P00000X`	Vascular Surgery	Primary specialty performing carotid bypass and complex neck vascular reconstructions

207R00000X | Surgery - Cardiothoracic | May participate when procedure is combined with aortic arch or thoracic procedures

2080P0001X | Surgery - General | General surgeons with vascular expertise may perform carotid bypass in some centers

207L00000X | Surgery - Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery | Involvement when coordination with arch repair is required

207K00000X | Interventional Cardiology | Rarely involved for intraoperative endovascular adjuncts or hybrid procedures

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`I65.21`	Occlusion and stenosis of right carotid artery	Indication for carotid bypass when the artery is occluded and revascularization is required

I65.22 | Occlusion and stenosis of left carotid artery | Indication for carotid bypass when left-sided carotid circulation is compromised

I63.9 | Cerebral infarction, unspecified | Represents ischemic stroke that may prompt revascularization to prevent further cerebral ischemia

G45.9 | Transient cerebral ischemic attack, unspecified | Recurrent TIAs despite medical therapy are common clinical reasons to consider surgical bypass

I74.3 | Embolism and thrombosis of arteries of the lower extremities | Not directly related to carotid bypass; included here only if systemic embolic disease influences surgical planning

I71.4 | Abdominal aortic aneurysm, ruptured | Major aortic pathology sometimes co-managed with carotid revascularization in complex vascular patients

Z95.1 | Presence of aortocoronary bypass graft | Surgical history that may affect vascular access or operative planning

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`36215`	Selective catheter placement, carotid, unilateral, with angiography radiological supervision and interpretation	Used for diagnostic cerebral/neck angiography preoperatively or intraoperatively to define anatomy and confirm graft patency

36247 | Introduction of catheter, arterial, retrograde, for diagnostic cerebral angiography | Alternative access angiography code for diagnostic vascular imaging associated with planning or completion angiograms

35301 | Transposition of carotid artery (e.g., subclavian-carotid transposition) | Related open revascularization technique; may be an alternative to a cross-neck prosthetic bypass depending on anatomy

33405 | Repair of aortic arch or ascending aorta (example code for open arch procedures) | Represents major aortic procedures during which carotid flow may be rerouted or bypassed; included when carotid bypass is adjunctive in aortic repair

93880 | Duplex scan of extracranial arteries, complete bilateral study | Common postoperative and surveillance imaging to assess graft patency and flow after carotid bypass

92920 | Percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty, peripheral arterial, femoral-popliteal, etc. (representative endovascular revascularization) | Represents potential endovascular adjuncts or staged procedures when hybrid approaches are used

CPT 35600: Arterial Graft Harvest from Arm for Coronary Bypass

CPT-35601-CAROTID-COMMON-ARTERY-BYPASS-SYNTHETIC-GRAFT

CPT 35601: Common Carotid Artery Bypass with Synthetic Graft

CPT-35606-SUBCLAVIAN-ARTERY-BYPASS-SYNTHETIC-GRAFT

CPT 35606: Subclavian Artery Bypass with Synthetic Graft

CPT-35612-SUBCLAVIAN-ARTERY-BYPASS-SYNTHETIC-GRAFT

CPT 35612: Subclavian Artery Bypass with Synthetic Graft

CPT-35616-SUBCLAVIAN-TO-AXILLARY-BYPASS-SYNTHETIC-GRAFT

CPT 35616: Subclavian-to-Axillary Bypass with Synthetic Graft

CPT-35621-AXILLOFEMORAL-BYPASS-SYNTHETIC-GRAFT

CPT 35621: Axillofemoral Bypass Using Synthetic Graft

CPT-35623-AXILLARY-TO-POPLITEAL-OR-TIBIAL-BYPASS-SYNTHETIC-GRAFT

CPT 35623: Axillary-to-Popliteal/Tibial Bypass with Synthetic Graft

CPT-35626-AORTIC-TO-SUBCLAVIAN-INNOMINATE-CAROTID-BYPASS-GRAFT

CPT 35626: Aortic-to-Subclavian/Innominate/Carotid Bypass with Synthetic Graft

CPT-35631-AORTO-VISCERAL-RENAL-BYPASS-SYNTHETIC-GRAFT

CPT 35631: Aortic-to-Visceral/Renal Bypass with Synthetic Graft

CPT-35632-ILIAC-TO-CELIAC-SYNTHETIC-GRAFT-BYPASS

CPT 35632: Iliac-to-Celiac Synthetic Graft Bypass

Showing 1–10 of 27

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`50`	Bilateral procedure	When bilateral carotid bypass procedures are performed during the same operative session involving distinct separate sites