AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) — Question 15

A patient has a malfunctioning ventricular electrode. The operative report reflects that the cardiologist made an incision into the subclavicular pocket, which housed a single chamber pacemaker. He detached the malfunctioning ventricular electrode, removed it from the patient, and made the decision to have a thoracic surgeon implant an epicardial lead later in the day (no new hardware was implanted). He then closed the skin pocket with multiple layers of suture.
Which CPT® code is reported for the cardiologist's service?

Answer options

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct code is 33234, which corresponds to the removal of a single chamber pacemaker or lead without replacement. The other options do not accurately reflect the procedure performed, as they relate to different types of pacemaker or lead placements and removals that did not occur in this situation.