Summary & Overview
HCPCS C9760: Transcatheter Interatrial Shunt Implantation (IDE)
HCPCS Level II code C9760 denotes an investigational transcatheter implantation of an interatrial shunt for patients with NYHA class II–IV heart failure performed under an approved Investigational Device Exemption. The service is notable nationally as it captures advanced structural heart interventions delivered in research settings, combining right and left heart catheterization, transeptal access, device deployment and comprehensive intra-procedural imaging. This code matters for hospitals, catheterization labs, device manufacturers, and payers because it documents investigational device-based therapy outside routine commercial coverage pathways.
Key payers included in the analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare and Medicare. Readers will learn the clinical context of the procedure, typical sites of service, and how the code maps to investigational IDE study workflows. The publication also summarizes common procedural components captured by the code and identifies where data are not provided in the input (for example, associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes). The focus is national: it outlines what the code represents, why it matters for billing and device evaluation, and what stakeholders should expect when encountering C9760 on claims submitted for IDE-placement of interatrial shunts.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code C9760 describes a non-randomized, non-blinded investigational transcatheter implantation of an interatrial shunt for patients with NYHA class II, III, or IV heart failure. The procedure includes right and left heart catheterization, transeptal puncture, and device implantation, with intra-procedural imaging such as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) or intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and use of fluoroscopy or ultrasound as needed.
Service type: Investigational transcatheter interatrial shunt implantation performed as part of an approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study.
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or hospital outpatient cardiac catheterization laboratory / hybrid procedural suite, where advanced imaging and invasive cardiac catheterization are available.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old patient with chronic heart failure NYHA Class III refractory to optimal medical therapy is enrolled in an approved investigational device exemption (IDE) study evaluating a transcatheter interatrial shunt device. The patient reports exertional dyspnea and frequent heart failure exacerbations despite guideline-directed medical therapy. Pre-procedure evaluation includes transthoracic echocardiography, right heart catheterization confirming elevated left-sided filling pressures, and cardiology-led informed consent for the investigational implant.
On the day of service, the patient is brought to a cardiac catheterization laboratory or hybrid operating room. The multidisciplinary team typically includes an interventional cardiologist or structural heart specialist, anesthesiology for monitored anesthesia care or general anesthesia, echocardiography personnel for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) or intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), and cath lab nursing and technologist staff. The procedure workflow: vascular access is obtained (usually femoral venous), right and left heart catheterization is performed, transeptal puncture is performed under imaging guidance (TEE or ICE and fluoroscopy), the investigational transcatheter interatrial shunt device is delivered and deployed, and immediate hemodynamic and imaging assessment is performed. Post-procedure monitoring includes recovery in a monitored unit with attention to vascular access site, rhythm monitoring, and clinical assessment for device-related complications. Device placement and procedural details are documented per IDE protocol for investigational-device reporting and billing using the HCPCS Level II code C9760.
Coding Specifications
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