CPT 61626 Transcatheter Embolization Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

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.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare61626CPTinterventional-radiologyembolizationhead-and-neckendovascular-procedurevascular-occlusionimage-guidanceprocedure-coding

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.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 62-year-old male presents to the emergency department with recurrent, severe posterior epistaxis refractory to anterior and posterior packing. The patient has a history of hypertension and is on dual antiplatelet therapy following recent coronary stenting. Otolaryngology evaluates the patient and determines that endovascular management is required. Interventional radiology is consulted for transcatheter embolization of an external carotid artery branch to control hemorrhage. The clinical workflow includes preprocedure consent and review of anticoagulation status, cross-sectional imaging or diagnostic angiography to localize the bleeding vessel, arterial access (commonly common femoral or radial), selective catheterization under fluoroscopic guidance, delivery of embolic agents (eg, particles, coils, liquid embolic) to occlude the culprit extracranial vessel, post-embolization angiography to confirm hemostasis, hemostasis of the access site, and postprocedure monitoring for complications (neurologic deficit, non-target embolization, access site hematoma). Typical site of service is an interventional radiology angiography suite or hybrid operating room; these procedures may occur emergently in the hospital setting or electively in the hospital outpatient department for nonurgent indications such as tumor devascularization. The service type is image-guided endovascular embolization (permanent vessel occlusion) of extracranial head and neck vessels performed by an interventionalist with vascular access, catheter manipulation, and embolic administration skills.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`

CPT 61623: Temporary Balloon Occlusion of Neck Arteries Assisting Vascular Procedure

CPT-61642-INTRACRANIAL-ANGIOPLASTY-BALLOON-DILATATION-SECOND-TERRITORY

CPT 61642: Intracranial Angioplasty and Balloon Dilatation, Additional Vessel

CPT-61641-INTRACRANIAL-ANGIOPLASTY-BALLOON-DILATATION-MULTI-VESSEL

CPT 61641: Intracranial Angioplasty and Balloon Dilatation, Additional Vessel

CPT-61624-TRANSCATHETER-NEURO-EMBOLIZATION-PERMANENT-OCCLUSION

CPT 61624: Transcatheter Neuroembolization for Permanent Vessel Occlusion

CPT-61635-INTRACRANIAL-ANGIOPLASTY-STENT-PLACEMENT

CPT 61635: Intracranial Balloon Angioplasty with Stent Placement

CPT-61630-INTRACRANIAL-BALLOON-ANGIOPLASTY

CPT 61630: Intracranial Balloon Angioplasty

CPT-61640-INTRACRANIAL-ANGIOPLASTY-VASOSPASM-DILATION

CPT 61640: Intracranial Angioplasty for Vasospasm

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Interventional Radiology	Primary specialty performing transcatheter head and neck embolization.
2080P0003X	Vascular Surgery	Performs endovascular occlusion for traumatic or vascular lesion management.
363L00000X	Diagnostic Radiology	Radiologists with endovascular training who perform embolization procedures.
2084P0800X	Otolaryngology (ENT)	May collaborate for head/neck pathology and peri-procedural care.
207L00000X	Neurological Surgery	In select cases involving skull base or complex head/neck vascular lesions requiring neurosurgical input.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`I67.6`	Nonpyogenic thrombosis of intracranial venous sinus	Included when venous thrombosis leads to venous hypertension and potential need for venous embolization or adjunct procedures.
`I60.9`	Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, unspecified	Relevant when arterial bleeding in head/neck requires embolization to control hemorrhage originating from extracranial-intracranial communicating vessels.
`S04.129A`	Injury of other cranial nerves, initial encounter	Relevant in traumatic head/neck vascular injuries requiring embolization for hemorrhage control.
`R04.0`	Epistaxis	Primary diagnosis for embolization of branches of the external carotid artery to control severe or recurrent nosebleeds.
`C31.9`	Malignant neoplasm of nasal cavity, unspecified	Tumor-related hypervascularity may require preoperative or palliative embolization to reduce bleeding risk.
`I72.8`	Other aneurysm of other specified arteries	Aneurysmal lesions of head and neck vessels that may require vessel occlusion or embolization.
`S14.01XA`	Injury of carotid artery, initial encounter	Traumatic injury to cervical vessels managed by endovascular occlusion or embolization.
`Q28.1`	Arteriovenous malformation of cerebral vessels	Congenital vascular malformations extending to extracranial branches that may require embolization.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`36010`	Introduction of needle or intracatheter into a vein or artery, diagnostic, not resulting in angiography	Access codes relevant to vascular access prior to angiography or embolization.
`36245`	Selective catheter placement, cerebral, intracranial, or cervical carotid beyond the common carotid artery	Used when selective catheterization of cervical carotid branches is required as part of diagnostic angiography preceding embolization.
`36247`	Intracranial, therapeutic angioplasty, with or without stent; initial vessel	Performed when adjunct endovascular interventions such as angioplasty/stenting are needed in the same session.
`61624`	Transcatheter embolization or permanent occlusion of intracranial vessels	Related when embolization involves intracranial rather than extracranial vessels; distinguishes site of service.
`75710`	Angiography, extremity, unilateral, including non-selective catheter contrast injection(s) when performed and image documentation	Diagnostic angiography codes may be used for pre-embolization vascular mapping.
`76937`	Ultrasound guidance for vascular access	Used when ultrasound guidance is used for arterial access during the embolization procedure.

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