Summary & Overview
CPT 37275: Atherectomy with Stent Placement, Femoral/Popliteal
CPT code 37275 designates atherectomy with stent placement (with or without angioplasty) for a straightforward lesion in an initial femoral or popliteal vessel. It captures a combined plaque-removal and stent-deployment procedure that includes all access, catheterization, lesion crossing, and imaging guidance, and may be performed via open or percutaneous approach. Nationally, this code represents a commonly used modality to restore and maintain limb perfusion in patients with peripheral arterial disease, with implications for vascular surgery, interventional radiology, and cardiology service lines.
Key payers examined in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context, common billing and coding considerations, and comparative benchmarks where available. The publication outlines expected sites of service and service line placement, summarizes typical clinical scenarios that lead to use of this code, and identifies related codes and coding categories for cross-reference. Policy updates, payer coverage trends, and utilization benchmarks are summarized to inform revenue cycle, clinical coding, and compliance stakeholders. Data limitations or missing specific inputs are noted as "Data not available in the input."
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 37275 describes the performance of atherectomy with stent placement, which may include angioplasty, for a straightforward stenotic lesion in an initial vessel of the femoral and popliteal vascular territory. That territory comprises the common femoral/profunda femoris and the superficial femoral/popliteal arteries. The service encompasses all access, catheterization, lesion crossing, and imaging guidance. The approach may be open or percutaneous.
Service type: Endovascular/surgical peripheral arterial intervention (atherectomy with stent placement)
Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department, outpatient interventional suite, or inpatient operating/procedure room
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 72-year-old man with a history of peripheral artery disease, claudication, and poorly controlled diabetes presents with worsening right calf pain after walking 50 meters. Noninvasive ankle-brachial index testing shows reduced perfusion to the right lower extremity. Diagnostic angiography demonstrates a focal, straightforward atherosclerotic stenosis in the superficial femoral artery within the femoral-popliteal territory. The vascular surgery or interventional cardiology team schedules a percutaneous endovascular intervention.
The procedure workflow: the patient is brought to an angiography suite or hybrid operating room (typical site of service). Vascular access is obtained (commonly common femoral artery access), and catheter-based angiography is performed to define lesion anatomy. Lesion crossing is achieved with guidewires; adjunctive atherectomy is performed to debulk atherosclerotic plaque followed by balloon angioplasty as needed. A self-expanding or balloon-expandable stent is deployed to scaffold the vessel. Intravascular imaging or fluoroscopic guidance documents deployment and patency. Hemostasis is achieved by manual compression, closure device, or open exposure if an open approach was used. Typical post-procedure monitoring occurs in a recovery area or inpatient unit depending on comorbidities and access method.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the physician’s professional interpretation portion if the facility separately reports the technical component. |