AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9 - 2005 Issue 4; VOLUME 3 NEW/REVISED CODES

Endovascular Implant in Thoracic Aorta

Effective October 1, 2005, a new code 39.73, Endovascular implantation of graft in thoracic aorta, has been created to report endovascular repair of thoracic aorta. Conventional repair of aneurysms of the descending thoracicaorta traditionally involved thoracotomy and graft interposition. This type of surgery carried a significant risk for agedpatients and those with previous operations, obesity, respiratoryinsufficiency, or other comorbidities. Endovascular stent-graft repair is an alternative minimally invasive treatment for patients with thoracic aortic defects either caused by aneurysm, trauma, or a complication of previous surgery. The endoprosthesis is a conduit constructed of ultra-thin graft material with an integrated...

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