CPT code 35266: Vessel repair, upper extremity, nonvein graft2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $787.93 for 35266 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 35266 covers

Code 35266 represents operative reconstruction of an injured or surgically damaged upper-extremity blood vessel using graft material other than a vein. A vascular surgeon may use this approach when the vessel defect requires graft reconstruction rather than direct closure; a typical situation is repair of a traumatic arm vessel injury. The code identifies the graft category and upper-extremity site, not a particular named vessel or graft configuration. The service is generally performed in an operating room.

Select this code when the operative report supports both the upper-extremity location and use of nonvein graft material. Document the vessel, defect, graft material, and reconstruction performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 35266 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

35266 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 35266 rate is calculated

Each of 35266’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 35266

35266 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

35266 compared with similar codes

How to choose

35206Vessel repairUpper extremity, direct repair

35206 describes direct upper-extremity vessel repair without graft reconstruction. Use 35266 when the repair uses graft material other than a vein.

35236Vessel repairUpper extremity, vein graft

Both codes concern graft repair of an upper-extremity vessel, but 35236 is for a vein graft; 35266 is for other graft material.

35286Vessel repairLower extremity, non-vein graft

35286 describes nonvein-graft vessel repair in the lower extremity. The distinguishing factor is the anatomical site.

Codes related to 35266

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates