CPT code 35905: Graft excision, thoracic site2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports operative removal of an infected vascular graft in the thorax, such as an infected graft from prior thoracic aortic reconstruction.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 35905 in Illinois.
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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What 35905 covers
This service involves surgically removing infected vascular graft material located in the thorax. A vascular surgeon commonly performs it in a hospital operating room for infection involving a prior thoracic vascular reconstruction, including an aortic graft. The operative report should identify the graft’s thoracic location, the evidence of infection, and the graft material removed.
Select this code by the location of the infected graft, not by the original operation or the access incision. Documentation should support both the infection and the excision performed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Do not use modifier 50 for this service. 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 35905 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | Unavailable | $1,896.01 |
| East St. Louis, IL | Unavailable | $1,796.74 |
| Rest of Illinois | Unavailable | $1,669.87 |
| Suburban Chicago, IL | Unavailable | $1,753.58 |
How the 35905 rate is calculated
Each of 35905’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 · 35905
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work32.68
32.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.67
4.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice8.35
8.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
45.7000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,526.42
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 35905
35905 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 35905
Graft excision, thoracic site
| 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 · 35905
Graft excision, thoracic site
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
35905 without 51 · national facility
$1,526.42
Graft excision, thoracic site
35905-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$763.21
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%).
35905 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 35901Graft excisionNeck site
- Use 35901 when the infected graft is in the neck; use 35905 when it is in the thorax.
- 35903Graft excisionExtremity site
- Use 35903 for an infected graft in an extremity. The thoracic location distinguishes 35905.
- 35907Graft excisionAbdominal location
- Use 35907 when the infected graft is in the abdomen; 35905 identifies a thoracic graft.
35905 billing questions
How do I distinguish this code from 35903?
Choose by the location of the infected graft: 35905 is for a graft in the thorax, while 35903 is for one in an extremity.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
The operative report should describe the infection, identify the graft’s thoracic location, and document the graft material removed.
Should modifier 50 be appended for grafts on both sides?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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