Summary & Overview
CPT 37735: Saphenous Vein Stripping with Ulcer Excision and Skin Graft
CPT code 37735 denotes surgical ligation and stripping of the long or short saphenous vein with excision of an associated ulcer (including deep fascia and surrounding soft tissue) and placement of a skin graft. The procedure is most commonly used to treat advanced varicose vein disease complicated by ulceration or chronic nonhealing wounds, combining venous ablation with definitive soft-tissue reconstruction.
This national-level analysis covers common payer approaches from major commercial insurers and federal programs. Key payers included are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for CPT code 37735, expectations for typical settings of care, common modifiers used in billing, and guidance on what information is and is not available in the source input.
The publication provides benchmarks and operational details useful for coding, billing, and utilization review teams: typical service line classification, likely sites of service, and the procedural components that drive code selection. It also highlights areas where data is missing from the input (for example, specific payer policies, associated taxonomies, and ICD-10 diagnosis pairings) and indicates that those items are not included. The content is intended for clinicians, coding professionals, and revenue cycle staff seeking a clear, national overview of CPT code 37735 and its clinical purpose.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 37735 describes a surgical procedure for management of varicose veins that includes ligation and stripping of the long or short saphenous vein, excision of an associated ulcer (including deep fascia and adjacent soft tissue), and placement of a skin graft over the defect. The provider may also tie off superficial tributary veins that communicate with deeper venous channels.
-
Service type: Surgical vein stripping with ulcer excision and skin grafting
-
Typical site of service: Inpatient or outpatient surgical setting such as an operating room or ambulatory surgical center where general, regional, or local anesthesia and sterile surgical conditions are available.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old ambulatory male with symptomatic chronic venous insufficiency and recurrent varicosities presents with a large, non-healing venous ulcer over the medial distal lower leg. Conservative therapy (compression, local wound care) has failed. The vascular surgeon schedules an operative session under general or regional anesthesia to perform high ligation and stripping of the great saphenous vein with excision of the ulcer and placement of a split-thickness skin graft. The workflow includes preoperative vascular evaluation (duplex ultrasound), informed consent, anesthesia assessment, operative vein ligation and stripping with possible tie-offs of communicating superficial veins, excision of ulcer including deep fascia and adjacent soft tissue, harvesting of a skin graft (usually thigh), graft application and dressing, immediate postoperative monitoring in PACU, and postoperative wound care follow-up with graft check and duplex as indicated.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier information; system placeholder | Rarely used; not typically applied to claims |
11 | Professional component | Use if billing for physician professional service separate from technical component (unlikely for a bundled operative procedure) |