Bladed catheter designed to cut and prepare hardened lesions inside blood vessels before angioplasty or stenting

This code describes a specialized catheter used in interventional cardiology or radiology procedures. It features a bladed tip designed to precisely modify or cut through tough, calcified, or fibrotic atherosclerotic lesions within blood vessels. This device facilitates subsequent balloon angioplasty or stent placement by creating a larger lumen.

This code is used when a bladed transluminal intravascular lesion preparation device is utilized during percutaneous coronary or peripheral interventions. Documentation should clearly indicate the use of a bladed catheter for lesion modification, often preceding balloon angioplasty or atherectomy. It is typically employed for highly calcified or resistant lesions that cannot be effectively dilated with conventional balloons.

• Ensure documentation specifies "bladed" to differentiate from other lesion preparation devices.
• This code represents the device itself and is typically reported in conjunction with the primary interventional procedure code (e.g., angioplasty, atherectomy).
• Do not confuse with other atherectomy devices (e.g., rotational, orbital, directional) which have distinct HCPCS codes.