Summary & Overview
CPT 37212: Catheter-Directed Venous Thrombolysis
Headline: CPT code 37212 Defines Catheter-Directed Venous Thrombolysis and Radiological Guidance
CPT code 37212 represents catheter-directed infusion of thrombolytic medication into a vein at the site of an identified clot, including the radiological supervision and interpretation necessary to access the vessel for the initial day of treatment. This code is clinically significant because catheter-directed thrombolysis can offer limb- and life-saving treatment for acute venous thromboembolism and related conditions while involving high-resource procedural and imaging components.
Major national payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of how the code maps to interventional radiology service lines, typical sites of service, and the clinical context in which it is used. The publication also summarizes common billing modifiers and related administrative considerations where available. Policy and reimbursement benchmarks, payer-specific coverage nuances, and coding guidance are presented to help revenue-cycle and clinical teams align documentation and claim submission practices with payer expectations.
This national summary is intended to inform clinicians, coding professionals, and health policy stakeholders about the clinical role of CPT code 37212, its billing context, and the types of analysis and policy updates readers can expect in the full publication.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 37212 describes a procedure in which a provider inserts a catheter into a vein to deliver thrombolytic medication directly at the site of a venous thrombus. The procedure includes the radiological supervision and interpretation performed to access the vessel and is intended for the initial day of thrombolytic therapy.
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Service type: Catheter-directed thrombolysis with radiological guidance
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Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or hospital outpatient interventional radiology suite
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old patient presents with progressive unilateral lower extremity swelling, pain, and decreased dorsalis pedis pulse over 24–48 hours. Duplex ultrasound demonstrates extensive acute deep venous thrombosis of the femoral and popliteal veins with concern for limb-threatening ischemia or significant symptom burden. Interventional radiology evaluates the patient and recommends catheter-directed thrombolysis for targeted clot dissolution. On the initial treatment day the interventionalist obtains informed consent, performs venous access (commonly popliteal or common femoral), advances a multi-sidehole infusion catheter into the thrombus, administers a thrombolytic agent via the catheter, and provides radiological supervision and interpretation (fluoroscopic guidance, contrast injections to confirm position). Post-procedure care includes ICU or step-down monitoring for bleeding and neurovascular checks, serial labs (hematology and fibrinogen), and imaging follow-up. Typical sites of service are the hospital interventional suite or the inpatient radiology department, often billed as an inpatient procedure on day 0 (initial day of catheter-directed thrombolytic infusion).
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
11 | Normally reported service | Use when the service represents the usual, standard performance of the procedure. |
| 22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work, time, and complexity significantly exceed the typical service.