Summary & Overview
CPT 36246: Selective Catheter Placement in Second-Order Abdominal/Pelvic/LE Artery Branch
CPT code 36246 represents selective catheter placement in a second-order abdominal, pelvic, or lower extremity arterial branch performed during angiography. This targeted catheterization is a commonly billed interventional radiology service used to visualize and access distal vascular branches for diagnostic imaging and to facilitate endovascular therapies. Nationally, procedures coded with CPT code 36246 are important for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease, embolization procedures, and other vascular interventions requiring selective distal access.
Key payers in the national analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context, typical sites of service, and the role of this service line in endovascular care. The publication provides benchmarks for utilization and common billing practices, outlines typical modifier usage and coding relationships where available, and summarizes policy updates and coverage considerations affecting claims processing. The material is intended to inform coding professionals, revenue cycle managers, and clinical leaders about where CPT code 36246 fits within angiographic service lines and payer workflows.
Data not available in the input for specific associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 36246 describes a selective catheter placement in a second-order branch of an abdominal, pelvic, or lower extremity arterial vascular family performed as part of angiography. Angiography is an X‑ray study that uses a radiopaque contrast agent to visualize blood vessels for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This service is a selective angiographic catheter placement targeting a more distal (second-order) arterial branch within the same vascular territory.
Service type: Angiographic catheterization / selective catheter placement
Typical site of service: Interventional radiology suite or catheterization laboratory, with procedures commonly performed in hospitals or outpatient imaging centers.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old patient with progressive right lower extremity claudication is referred for diagnostic angiography to define arterial anatomy and identify stenoses in distal branches after noninvasive testing (ABI and duplex ultrasound) suggests multi-level peripheral arterial disease. In the angiography suite or hybrid operating room, vascular access is obtained (commonly common femoral artery). Under fluoroscopic guidance, a diagnostic catheter is selectively advanced into a second-order branch of the lower extremity arterial tree (for example, a tibial or peroneal branch) within the same vascular family to perform contrast angiography. Images are obtained to localize focal stenosis or occlusion and to plan potential endovascular intervention (angioplasty, atherectomy, or stent placement). The procedure typically involves monitoring by interventional radiology or vascular surgery, procedural sedation or monitored anesthesia care, use of iodinated contrast, and postprocedure hemostasis and observation. Typical site of service: hospital outpatient radiology/interventional suite, ambulatory surgery center, or hybrid operating room. Service type: diagnostic vascular imaging (selective catheter angiography of a second-order abdominal, pelvic, or lower extremity arterial branch).
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the physician interpretation/read component separate from technical facility resources |