Summary & Overview
CPT 62160: Endoscopic Ventricular Catheter Placement or Replacement
Headline: CPT code 62160: Endoscopic ventricular catheter placement or replacement
CPT code 62160 identifies an add-on neurosurgical endoscopic procedure used to place or replace a ventricular catheter for cerebrospinal fluid drainage. This procedure matters nationally because it addresses acute and chronic conditions that raise intracranial pressure, including hydrocephalus and catheter obstruction, and it is commonly performed in inpatient and ambulatory surgical settings. As an add-on code, 62160 is reported in conjunction with primary procedure codes for shunt placement or external ventricular drainage.
Key payers examined include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for when 62160 is used, typical sites of service, and common billing considerations. The publication provides benchmarks and coding guidance for revenue cycle teams, highlights payer coverage considerations and modifier usage, and outlines areas where clinical documentation supports correct reporting.
This resource is intended for coding professionals, neurosurgery clinical teams, and revenue integrity staff seeking a clear national summary of the code's clinical purpose, common billing context, and where to focus documentation for accurate capture of the add-on endoscopic ventricular catheter service.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 62160 describes an endoscopic ventricular catheter placement or replacement. In this add-on procedure, the provider uses a small endoscope to access the brain to place or replace a ventricular catheter for a shunt system or for external drainage. The service is performed either as an initial placement to drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain's ventricles to reduce intracranial pressure, or to replace a catheter that is obstructed and no longer allows CSF flow.
Service type: Neurosurgical endoscopic procedure, shunt/external ventricular catheter placement or replacement
Typical site of service: Operating room or procedure suite within a hospital or ambulatory surgical center that performs intracranial endoscopic procedures
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old patient presents with progressively worsening headache, nausea, and decreased level of consciousness after subarachnoid hemorrhage complicated by acute hydrocephalus. Neuroimaging demonstrates dilated lateral ventricles with transependymal CSF flow consistent with obstructive hydrocephalus. The neurosurgery team determines urgent ventricular catheter placement for CSF diversion is required. The procedure uses an endoscope to access the lateral ventricle and place an intraventricular catheter connected to an external ventricular drain (EVD) or as part of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt system. The workflow includes preoperative assessment and informed consent, intraoperative neuronavigation and endoscopic ventricular access, catheter placement and confirmation of CSF flow, securing the catheter and tunneling as indicated, sterile dressing, and postoperative neurosurgical ICU monitoring for drainage output, neurological status, and potential complications such as hemorrhage or infection. Billing is submitted as the add-on code 62160 in conjunction with the primary cranial procedure code for shunt placement or external ventricular drain insertion as appropriate.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier (default) | Use when no special circumstance modifier applies. |
11 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the physician’s professional component (rare for this operative procedure). |
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work required is substantially greater than typically required (document justification). |
23 | Unusual anesthesia | Use if typically not required anesthesia becomes medically necessary for a patient undergoing this procedure. |
50 | Bilateral procedure | Use if bilateral ventricular catheters are placed and payer requires bilateral reporting. |
52 | Reduced services | Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as planned but still performed. |
53 | Discontinued procedure | Use when the procedure is started but terminated due to extenuating circumstances prior to completion. |
58 | Staged or related procedure by the same physician during the postoperative period | Use if the catheter placement is planned as a staged portion of a multi-stage cranial procedure. |
62 | Two surgeons | Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the procedure. |
78 | Return to OR for a related procedure during the global period | Use when the patient returns to the operating room for a related procedure during the global period due to complications or revision. |
79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period | Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period. |
80 | Assistant surgeon | Use when an assistant surgeon performs part of the procedure and payer requires reporting. |
81 | Minimum assistant surgeon | Use when a minimum assistant is provided and payer requires this modifier. |
63 | Procedure performed on infants less than 4 kg | Use when patient weight criteria are met for pediatric neurosurgery adjustments. |
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 207L00000X | Neurological Surgery | Primary specialty performing endoscopic ventricular catheter placement. |
| 2086S0122X | Critical Care Medicine | Critical care physicians manage postoperative ICU care and EVD management. |
| 207R00000X | Radiology—Diagnostic | Intraoperative neuronavigation and imaging support; not primary operator. |
| 2084N0400X | Emergency Medicine | May present initial acute hydrocephalus patients requiring urgent consultation and transfer. |
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Data not available in the input. | Data not available in the input. | Data not available in the input. |
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
62160 | Endoscopic placement or replacement of ventricular catheter for drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (add-on) | This is the add-on code describing the endoscopic approach to place or replace a ventricular catheter; reported with the primary catheter or shunt placement code. |
62223 | Injection, diagnostic or therapeutic, of cerebrospinal fluid? (Note: placeholder — see payer guidance) | Data not available in the input. |
61100 | Craniectomy or craniotomy procedure codes vary by approach and indication | Often reported for concomitant cranial procedures when open access is required rather than endoscopic technique. |
62230 | Diagnostic lumbar puncture, therapeutic lumbar puncture and CSF drainage codes | Performed in related diagnostic or therapeutic CSF management but not a direct substitute for intraventricular catheter placement. |
97607 | Negative pressure wound therapy (application) — example postoperative wound care | May be used for complex postoperative wound management but is ancillary to the ventricular catheter procedure. |