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CPT 61635: Intracranial Balloon Angioplasty with Stent Placement
CPT code 61635 represents percutaneous endovascular treatment of intracranial arterial stenosis using balloon angioplasty with placement of a self‑expanding stent. This neurointerventional procedure addresses symptomatic or severe cerebrovascular narrowing that can lead to stroke and is performed by specialists in interventional neuroradiology, endovascular neurosurgery, or interventional neurology. Nationally, the code is important because it captures complex, resource‑intensive inpatient and outpatient procedures with implications for quality reporting, utilization management, and payer coverage policies.
Key payers included in national analyses are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and service setting, typical sites of service, and the payers commonly involved. The publication also highlights expected benchmarking topics such as utilization patterns, reimbursement considerations, and policy drivers relevant to hospitals and specialty practices. Data limitations are noted where input information is not provided. This summary is intended to inform coding, billing, and administrative audiences about the clinical scope and payer landscape associated with CPT code 61635.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 61635 describes a transcatheter intracranial stent placement with balloon angioplasty, performed via percutaneous arterial access. In this procedure, a provider inserts a catheter—commonly through the femoral artery in the groin—and advances it through the vasculature to the site of a stenotic, plaque‑narrowed cerebral artery. A small balloon may be inflated at the narrowed segment to dilate the artery, followed by deployment of a self‑expanding mesh stent to scaffold the vessel and reduce restenosis.
Service Type: Endovascular neurointerventional procedure
Typical Site of Service: Hospital inpatient or hospital outpatient interventional radiology / endovascular suite, often accessed via the femoral artery in the groin.