Summary & Overview
CPT 77002: Fluoroscopic Guidance for Needle Placement
CPT code 77002 represents fluoroscopic guidance for initial needle placement or for the placement of a needle used in biopsy, aspiration, injection, or device localization for lesions anywhere in the body except the spine. Nationally, this code is important because it captures a common image-guidance service integral to many interventional procedures across radiology and procedural specialties, and it affects billing, coding compliance, and resource planning for facilities that perform image-guided procedures. Key payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will learn what CPT code 77002 covers clinically, which service settings commonly use it, and what to expect in payer coverage scope. The publication provides benchmarks and policy context relevant to billing and reimbursement for image-guided needle placement, summaries of payer coverage approaches, and clinical context that clarifies when this guidance code is applicable versus other image-guidance codes. Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnosis linkage, and related codes is noted as unavailable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 77002 describes fluoroscopic guidance for placement of a needle used for biopsy, aspiration, injection, or localization of a device to detect lesions in any area of the body except the spine. The procedure also covers fluoroscopic guidance to identify the level and approach for initial needle placement prior to a diagnostic or therapeutic intervention.
Service type: Image-guided needle placement using fluoroscopy
Typical site of service: Interventional radiology suite, hospital outpatient department, ambulatory surgery center, or other procedural setting where fluoroscopic guidance is available
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old patient presents with a palpable soft-tissue mass in the right lateral thigh identified on clinical exam and ultrasound. The referring orthopedic surgeon requests tissue diagnosis to exclude malignancy. The interventional radiologist reviews prior imaging, obtains informed consent, and performs a fluoroscopically guided percutaneous needle biopsy using 77002 to localize the lesion and guide initial needle placement. The patient is positioned on the fluoroscopy table, sterile prep and local anesthesia are applied, and intermittent fluoroscopic images are used to identify the lesion and determine trajectory. After localization, the radiologist marks the skin entry site and documents the fluoroscopic guidance used to place the biopsy needle; the actual biopsy may be reported with a separate tissue sampling code. Post-procedure, the patient is observed for immediate complications and given discharge instructions. Typical sites of service include the hospital radiology department, ambulatory surgical center, or outpatient imaging center.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the physician's interpretation or professional portion of the procedure. |