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CPT 61626: Transcatheter Embolization of Extracranial Head/Neck Vessels
CPT code 61626 covers image-guided transcatheter embolization or permanent occlusion of extracranial head and neck vessels, including brachiocephalic branches. The procedure is used to control hemorrhage (for example, severe epistaxis), treat traumatic vascular injuries, manage tumors with significant vascular supply, or exclude abnormal vessels from circulation. As a targeted endovascular therapy, it has implications for acute bleeding management and preoperative or palliative tumor care across inpatient and specialized outpatient settings.
Key national payers included in this overview are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise synthesis of the clinical context for 61626, expected settings of service, and the kinds of documentation and clinical indications that typically support billing for this procedure. The summary highlights typical service lines—interventional radiology and vascular surgery—and where the procedure is commonly performed.
This publication also outlines benchmarking and policy-relevant considerations that affect coverage and billing practices for catheter-based embolization in the head and neck, along with clinical contexts that commonly justify the service. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 61626 describes a transcatheter embolization or permanent vessel occlusion of head or neck vessels (extracranial and brachiocephalic vessels) performed using imaging guidance. The procedure involves intentionally blocking a targeted blood vessel to control or prevent blood flow for indications such as severe epistaxis (nosebleeds), traumatic vascular injury to the neck, vascular tumors, or abnormal extracranial blood vessels.
Service type: Image-guided endovascular embolization / permanent vessel occlusion
Typical site of service: Hospital-based interventional radiology suites or endovascular operating rooms; may also be performed in specialized outpatient interventional centers when clinically appropriate.