Summary & Overview
CPT 37260: Iliac Artery Stent Placement for Occlusive Lesion
CPT code 37260 represents stent placement, with or without angioplasty, for a complex occlusive lesion (complete blockage) in an initial iliac artery (common, internal, or external). It covers the full endovascular procedure including access, catheterization, lesion crossing, and imaging guidance. This code is central to management of advanced peripheral arterial disease affecting the iliac segment and has implications for hospital outpatient, ambulatory surgery center, and inpatient interventional workflows.
Key payers included in the analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise outline of clinical context, expected sites of service, and typical service classification. The publication summarizes common billing and coding considerations, highlights national payer coverage patterns where available, and situates 37260 among related peripheral vascular procedure codes. It also provides benchmarks and policy updates relevant to coding, facility billing, and clinical documentation for complex iliac stent procedures.
This resource is intended for coding professionals, hospital administrators, and clinicians involved in peripheral vascular interventions who need a national-level reference for CPT code 37260 and its application in contemporary vascular care.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 37260 describes stent placement for a complex occlusive lesion in an initial iliac artery (common, internal, or external iliac). The procedure includes deployment of a small mesh stent, and may include adjunct angioplasty (balloon dilation) as needed to restore vessel patency. The service encompasses all vascular access, catheterization, lesion crossing, and imaging guidance required to complete the intervention.
Service type: Endovascular peripheral vascular intervention (stent placement for iliac occlusion)
Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center; may also be performed in inpatient vascular or interventional radiology settings depending on clinical circumstance.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old patient with a history of peripheral arterial disease presents with progressive right-sided buttock and thigh claudication and an ankle-brachial index of 0.6. Noninvasive vascular studies and CT angiography demonstrate a complete occlusion of the right external iliac artery. The vascular surgeon and interventional radiologist review imaging and plan endovascular revascularization with stent placement to restore inflow to the limb.
Pre-procedure workflow includes preoperative assessment (cardiac risk stratification, anticoagulation management), informed consent specific to 37260 that explains risks of vascular access, embolization, and restenosis, and scheduling in an angiography suite. On the day of service the patient receives conscious sedation or monitored anesthesia; arterial access is obtained percutaneously (commonly via common femoral artery) or via an open cutdown if indicated. Diagnostic angiography is performed to define the lesion; lesion crossing techniques and atherectomy or preparatory angioplasty may be used before stent deployment. Deployment of a self-expanding or balloon-expandable stent in the iliac artery is performed under fluoroscopic imaging. Completion angiography confirms in-line flow. Hemostasis is achieved with manual compression, closure device, or open repair, and the patient is observed per institutional post-procedure protocol for bleeding, distal pulses, and access-site complications. Discharge instructions include antiplatelet therapy and follow-up vascular imaging or duplex surveillance.
Coding Specifications
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