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CPC Exam - Question 53


A 60-year-old male has three-vessel disease and supraventricular tachycardia which has been refractory to other management. He previously had pacemaker placement and stenting of LAD coronary artery stenosis, which has failed to solve the problem. He will undergo CABG with autologous saphenous vein and an extensive modified MAZE procedure to treat the tachycardia.

He is brought to the cardiac OR and placed in the supine position on the OR table. He is prepped and draped, and adequate endotracheal anesthesia is assured. A median sternotomy incision is made and cardiopulmonary bypass is initiated. The endoscope is used to harvest an adequate length of saphenous vein from his left leg. This is uneventful and bleeding is easily controlled. The vein graft is prepared and cut to the appropriate lengths for anastomosis. Two bypasses are performed: one to the circumflex and another to the obtuse marginal. The left internal mammary is then freed up and it is anastomosed to the ramus, the first diagonal, and the LAD. An extensive maze procedure is then performed and the patient is weaned from bypass. At this point, the sternum is closed with wires and the skin is reapproximated with staples. The patient tolerated the procedure without difficulty and was taken to the PACU.

Choose the procedure codes for this surgery.

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Sreeparvathi98_ks
Oct 28, 2023

B is correct

MelsWellsOption: B
Nov 15, 2023

Agree B is correct

LauraLee26
Jan 10, 2024

I'm finding a lot about any of the answers to not fit... Shouldn't it be 3 bypasses? 2 bypasses using the vein and 1 using the artery? Or is it 2 vein and 3 artery? as per the doc: " Two bypasses are performed: one to the circumflex and another to the obtuse marginal. The left internal mammary is then freed up and it is anastomosed to the ramus, the first diagonal, and the LAD." Whichever it is, none of the answers support either of these scenarios . Let alone......document states the pt had "an extensive modified MAZE procedure". The CPT codes seem to indicate is is either an extensive (normal MAZE) or limited (the modified MAZE).

1aa99b1
Jun 30, 2024

I thought it was b too but b describes what he had previously . 33533 coronary bypas using the venous graft (4 or more coronary arterial grafts .... 33257 insertion or replacement of the pacemaker 33519 repair of the atrial septal defect w/or w/out ..33508 maze procedure