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Coding for stent placement an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) culprit vessel

Q.

Is it appropriate to assign CPT® code 92941 or 93937 for a stent placement in a saphenous vein graft (SVG) graft to the right coronary artery (rca) for a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)? Is it necessary to assign Level II modifier -RC for these procedures? Do I need to put RC as the modifier?

A.

If the requirements/definition of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) culprit vessel (per AMA criteria are met), then report CPT code 92941-RC. 

In the hierarchical decision tree of coding, code assignment for the AMI overrides CPT code assignment for the bypass graft as CPT code 92941 includes bypass grafts in the code description. The code and full description are as follows:

92941 Percutaneous transluminal revascularization of acute total/subtotal occlusion during acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery or coronary artery bypass graft, any combination of intracoronary stent, atherectomy and angioplasty, including aspiration thrombectomy when performed, single vessel