CPT 75625: Aortography, abdominal, by serialography, including radiological supervision and interpretation.Terms outlined, let’s look at the description of the two codes we are Serialography: A technique that involves taking multiple images during an angiogram rather than a single image.Lower extremity angiograms can be either unilateral (images of the arteries of one leg only) or bilateral (images of the arteries of both legs). Lower Extremity Angiogram: A term used to refer to an angiogram obtained of the arteries of the legs.The iliac arteries are located just below the aortic bifurcation and help to supply blood flow to the legs and the pelvis while the femoral arteries are major arteries in the thigh that help supply blood flow to the legs. Iliofemoral: A term used to refer to the iliac arteries and femoral arteries together.Distal Abdominal Aorta: Term generally used to describe the last few centimeters of the abdominal aorta right above the aortic bifurcation.Infrarenal Aorta: Term used to describe the portion of the abdominal aorta below the renal artery orifices and above the aortic bifurcation.Aortic Bifurcation: The place where the abdominal aorta ends and branches off into the right and left common iliac arteries.Renal Artery Orifices: The place where the renal arteries connect to the abdominal aorta.Abdominal aortogram: A set of images of most or all of the abdominal aorta specifically taken after introducing dye into that part of the aorta through a catheter.When the term “angiogram” is used to refer to dye introduced into the aorta, it is a synonym for aortogram and would mean the same thing in a report. Angiogram: An even broader term than arteriogram, an angiogram refers to a set of images obtained in any blood vessel in the body (artery or vein) after introducing dye into that blood vessel through a catheter.When the term “arteriogram” is used to refer to dye introduced into the aorta, arteriorgram is a synonym for aortogram and would mean the same thing in a report. Arteriogram: A more general term used to refer a set of images obtained in any artery in the body after introducing dye into that artery through a catheter.An aortogram is sometimes referred to as aortography. Aortogram: A set of images obtained in one segment of the aorta after introducing dye into the aorta through a catheter.The aorta ends at this point (the heart is located on the other side of the aortic valve). The aortic root is where the coronary arteries which supply blood flow to your heart connect to the aorta. Ascending Aorta: The segment of the aorta that begins at the upper end of the aortic arch and continues through the aortic root and down to the aortic valve.Aortic arch: The segment of the aorta which is located between the ascending aorta and the descending thoracic aorta and is the portion of the aorta where the “head vessels” (the subclavian, the carotid, and the brachiocephalic trunk arteries which supply blood flow to the head, neck, and arms) branch off.Descending thoracic aorta: The segment of the aorta which begins at the lower end of the aortic arch (explained below) and proceeds down to the level of the diaphragm.This is the segment of the aorta we will be discussing today. Abdominal aorta: The segment of the aorta which begins at the level of the diaphragm (the muscle that separates your chest cavity from your abdomen) and continues to what is known as the aortic bifurcation where the abdominal aorta branches into the right and left common iliac arteries which supply blood flow to your legs.I have explained the definition and location of all four segments below, but today, we will be focused on the abdominal aorta. The aorta is divided into four segments in anatomy. This artery extends from the heart to the iliac arteries in the pelvis. Aorta: The aorta is largest artery in the body.Before we dive into some guidelines and examples, here are a few terms you need to be familiar with to help you understand reports for this procedure: Distinguishing these codes becomes particularly challenging when imaging of some or all of the arteries of the legs (a lower extremity angiogram) is performed in conjunction with the aortogram. So I wanted to dedicate today’s article to answering the question of whether to code CPT 75630 or 75625 when coding a report describing an abdominal aortogram. In vascular surgery, the question of how to code an abdominal aortogram is the topic of many emails I have received over my career and a question I see posted on forums online pretty regularly.
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