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Therapeutic apheresis is a medical procedure that utilizes a specialized blood processing machine to separate blood into its various components, which include white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. This separation is achieved based on the weight of the different blood components. The primary purpose of therapeutic apheresis is to remove a specific component of the blood that is contributing to a disease state, thereby aiding in the treatment of certain medical conditions. Prior to the procedure, a physician evaluates the patient to determine the necessity of therapeutic apheresis. The procedure typically involves the use of a previously placed central venous catheter, or alternatively, venous catheters may be inserted to facilitate the connection of blood tubing to the apheresis machine. The physician is responsible for determining the parameters for the apheresis process and programming the machine accordingly. Once initiated, blood is drawn from the patient and processed through the apheresis machine, where it is separated into its components. The specific component that is implicated in the patient's disease is extracted, while the remaining components are returned to the patient's circulation through a second catheter. Throughout the procedure, the physician closely monitors the patient, which may include cardiac monitoring and pulse oximetry, ensuring the patient's safety and well-being. After the procedure is completed, the patient is disconnected from the machine and undergoes a re-evaluation to assess their condition.
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The procedure of therapeutic apheresis for white blood cells is indicated for various medical conditions where the reduction of white blood cell levels is necessary to manage the disease effectively. The following are some of the explicitly provided indications for this procedure:
The procedure of therapeutic apheresis for white blood cells involves several critical steps that ensure the effective separation and removal of the targeted blood component. The following procedural steps are outlined:
After the therapeutic apheresis procedure, patients may experience a range of outcomes. It is essential for healthcare providers to monitor the patient for any immediate post-procedure complications, such as hypotension or bleeding at the catheter site. Patients are typically advised to rest and may require follow-up evaluations to assess the effectiveness of the procedure and to monitor for any delayed reactions. The physician will provide specific post-procedure care instructions, which may include hydration recommendations and signs of potential complications that the patient should watch for. Overall, the goal of post-procedure care is to ensure the patient's safety and to facilitate a smooth recovery.
| Short Descr | APHERESIS WBC | Medium Descr | THERAPEUTIC APHERESIS WHITE BLOOD CELLS | Long Descr | Therapeutic apheresis; for white blood cells | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | 000 - Endoscopic or Minor Procedure | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 0 - Physician Service Code | Multiple Procedures (51) | 2 - Standard payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 1 - Statutory payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | APC Status Indicator | Procedure or Service, Not Discounted when Multiple | ASC Payment Indicator | Non office-based surgical procedure added in CY 2008 or later; payment based on OPPS relative payment weight. | Type of Service (TOS) | 1 - Medical Care | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | P6C - Minor procedures - other (Medicare fee schedule) | MUE | 1 | CCS Clinical Classification | 231 - Other therapeutic procedures |
| 51 | Multiple procedures: when multiple procedures, other than e/m services, physical medicine and rehabilitation services or provision of supplies (eg, vaccines), are performed at the same session by the same individual, the primary procedure or service may be reported as listed. the additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s). note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d). | 53 | Discontinued procedure: under certain circumstances, the physician or other qualified health care professional may elect to terminate a surgical or diagnostic procedure. due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient, it may be necessary to indicate that a surgical or diagnostic procedure was started but discontinued. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 53 to the code reported by the individual for the discontinued procedure. note: this modifier is not used to report the elective cancellation of a procedure prior to the patient's anesthesia induction and/or surgical preparation in the operating suite. for outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center (asc) reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers 73 and 74 (see modifiers approved for asc hospital outpatient use). | AQ | Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa) | CC | Procedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed) | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | Q1 | Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study |
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| 2003-01-01 | Added | First appearance in code book in 2003. |
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