CPT code 49428 denotes surgical ligation of an existing peritoneal-venous shunt, a targeted procedure to stop flow through a catheter system that drains the abdominal cavity into a neck vein. This intervention is clinically significant for patients with malfunctioning, infected, or otherwise contraindicated shunts and is relevant to hospitals and surgical centers nationwide. Billing clarity for this code affects reimbursement, coding consistency, and quality reporting for surgical and vascular teams.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The overview discusses national implications for coverage and coding practice rather than state-specific policies.

Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical service represented by the code, guidance on typical sites of service, a review of common modifiers and payer relevance, and where available, benchmarking and policy context. The publication also highlights areas where input data is not available and directs readers to seek payer-specific policy documents for precise coverage rules. This summary equips coding professionals, hospital billing teams, and clinical leaders with a clear, high-level understanding of CPT code 49428 and its operational relevance in surgical practice.