Summary & Overview
CPT 61680: Craniotomy with Resection of Supratentorial AVM
CPT code 61680 designates an open neurosurgical craniotomy for resection of a simple supratentorial arteriovenous malformation (AVM). This code captures definitive surgical management of small, accessible AVMs located above the tentorium cerebelli and is a critical code for hospitals and neurosurgical practices managing intracranial vascular lesions. Nationally, accurate coding for AVM resections affects surgical quality measurement, resource allocation, and inpatient surgical case mix.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the procedure, expected sites of service, and which payers commonly reimburse these services. The publication outlines benchmarking topics relevant to this code, including typical utilization patterns, billing considerations, and recent policy or coding clarifications where available. The content is intended to help coding professionals, revenue cycle managers, and clinical leaders understand how CPT code 61680 is used in practice and its implications for hospital surgical service lines.
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, specific ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and payer-specific reimbursement rates.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 61680 describes a neurosurgical procedure in which the surgeon performs a craniotomy and resection of a supratentorial arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The description indicates removal of a portion of skull bone to access and excise a simple AVM—generally an AVM under 3 cm in size, superficially located, and likely without significant deep venous drainage or involvement of critical cortical language or sensory areas.
Service Type: Neurosurgical open resection of intracranial vascular malformation
Typical Site of Service: Hospital inpatient or ambulatory surgical center with neurosurgical capabilities, performed in an operating room under general anesthesia. If additional clinical detail is required, Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 42-year-old right-handed patient presents with new-onset focal seizures and progressive headaches. Neuroimaging with contrast-enhanced MRI and digital subtraction angiography identifies a small, superficially located supratentorial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) measuring 2.5 cm without deep venous drainage and located in noneloquent cortical tissue. After multidisciplinary review, the neurosurgery team schedules a craniotomy with microsurgical resection of the AVM under general anesthesia. The typical workflow includes preoperative evaluation (neurology and anesthesia clearance, review of imaging and vascular anatomy), perioperative planning (neuronavigation, possible intraoperative angiography, and neuromonitoring), the operative procedure (creation of a craniotomy, microsurgical dissection and resection of the AVM nidus, hemostasis, and closure), immediate postoperative neurocritical monitoring with imaging to confirm complete resection, and outpatient follow-up for seizure management and rehabilitation as needed.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | Default or no modifier specified in some payer systems | Rarely used; generally not appended when no specific modifier applies |
11 |