Summary & Overview
CPT 75831: Supervision and Interpretation of Selective Renal Venography, One Kidney
CPT code 75831 denotes the supervision and interpretation of selective venography of one kidney, an invasive diagnostic imaging procedure used to locate and assess the severity of renal venous thrombosis or obstruction. This code is used when a qualified provider oversees contrast injection and interprets the resulting venous radiographs. Nationally, accurate coding for invasive vascular imaging affects clinical documentation, quality reporting, and claims adjudication in hospital and outpatient interventional radiology settings.
Key payers covered in this summary include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical purpose of the procedure, typical settings where it is performed, and the practical coding context for billing and administrative teams. The publication also outlines benchmarking and reimbursement themes, common modifier usage (listed separately), and relevant clinical considerations for interpreting selective renal venography results.
This material is intended to inform billing staff, compliance officers, and clinicians about the role of CPT code 75831 in claims processing and clinical documentation. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable for payor-specific rates, utilization metrics, and associated ICD‑10 diagnoses.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 75831 describes the supervision and interpretation of a selective venography procedure of one kidney. Selective venography is an invasive diagnostic imaging study in which contrast dye is injected and X‑rays are taken to visualize renal veins and identify the location and degree of venous obstruction or thrombosis.
Service type: Diagnostic vascular imaging (invasive)
Typical site of service: Hospital radiology suite or interventional radiology suite, or an outpatient vascular/interventional radiology setting where invasive venous imaging is performed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A middle-aged patient presents with flank pain, hematuria, and unexplained decline in renal function. Prior noninvasive imaging (renal ultrasound and CT venography) suggests possible renal vein thrombosis or outflow obstruction of one kidney. The interventional radiology team schedules a selective renal venography under fluoroscopic guidance. The procedure includes venous access, contrast injection into the renal vein of the affected kidney, real-time X‑ray imaging to identify the presence, location, and extent of thrombus or stenosis, and acquisition of images for interpretation. The supervising physician performs interpretation of the venograms and documents findings, measurements of any stenosis or occlusion, and procedural impressions. Typical workflow involves pre-procedure consent and coagulation assessment, vascular access in the interventional suite or angiography lab, contrast administration with digital subtraction venography, interpretation and reporting, and post-procedure monitoring in the recovery area. The typical site of service is an outpatient or inpatient angiography/operating suite within the hospital or an outpatient interventional radiology suite. The service type is invasive diagnostic vascular imaging performed and interpreted by a qualified physician using fluoroscopic contrast venography of one kidney.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | When billing only the physician interpretation separate from technical facility charges |