tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2002 Issue 3

Reader Question: Harvesting Saphenous Vein

Question: Is there a code for harvesting the contralateral saphenous vein before performing a femoral-tibial bypass graft? Only one segment of vein is harvested and no prosthetic is used, so this is not a composite graft and no arm vein is taken.     Pennsylvania Subscriber  Answer: The correct code for the procedure (35556, Bypass graft, with vein; femoral-popliteal) includes the harvesting of vein. The harvesting of vein from the leg is always included in any lower-extremity bypass graft. If vein is harvested from the arm, it may be reported separately using 35500 (Harvest of...

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