CPT code 35870: Vascular graft repair, graft defect repair2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Report 35870 when a surgeon repairs a structural defect in an existing blood vessel graft, rather than removing graft clot or revising a femoral anastomosis.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 35870 in Texas.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 35870 covers
Code 35870 describes operative repair of a defect in an existing blood vessel graft. A vascular surgeon typically performs the work in an operating room, often during a return procedure when inspection identifies damage such as a leak or disruption in the graft. The documented service should show repair of the graft itself, not simply exploration or treatment of a different graft problem such as clot removal.
Report the code when the operative note identifies the graft defect and the repair performed. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 35870 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $1,121.71 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $1,109.12 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $1,095.91 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $1,113.30 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $1,114.62 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $1,105.98 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $1,217.81 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $1,109.02 |
How the 35870 rate is calculated
Each of 35870’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.
How the rate is built · 35870
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work23.89
23.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.00
4.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice6.11
6.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
34.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,135.63
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 35870
35870 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 35870
Vascular graft repair, graft defect repair
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 35870
Vascular graft repair, graft defect repair
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
35870 without 51 · national facility
$1,135.63
Vascular graft repair, graft defect repair
35870-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$567.82
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
35870 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 35875Graft thrombectomyWithout graft revision
- 35875 describes open clot removal from an arterial or venous graft. Choose 35870 when the service repairs a structural graft defect instead.
- 35876Graft thrombectomyWith graft revision
- 35876 is for open graft thrombectomy with revision. It applies when the service includes clot removal and graft revision, not simply repair of a defect.
- 35879Bypass revisionFemoral-popliteal, vein patch
- 35879 addresses revision of a femoral anastomosis involving a nonautogenous graft. It is not the general code for repairing a defect elsewhere in a graft.
- 35881Bypass revisionVein interposition, no thrombectomy
- 35881 addresses revision of a femoral anastomosis involving an autogenous vein graft; 35870 describes repair of a graft defect.
35870 billing questions
How is 35870 different from graft thrombectomy?
Use 35870 for repair of a structural defect in the graft. Codes 35875 and 35876 describe open removal of clot, with 35876 also including graft revision.
When is a femoral anastomosis revision a better fit?
Use the applicable femoral anastomosis revision code when the operative service revises that connection. Codes 35879 and 35881 distinguish nonautogenous from autogenous vein grafts.
What documentation supports reporting 35870?
Document the existing graft, the defect found, and the specific repair performed. The record should make clear that the service repaired the graft rather than only exploring it or removing a clot.
How does the 90-day global period affect follow-up?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can 35870 be reported with another procedure in the same session?
It may be reported when a distinct additional procedure is performed. Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%; an assistant may be paid, while co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
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
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