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Billing code 33926: Pulmonary artery repairMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical unifocalization of pulmonary arteries using cardiopulmonary bypass, typically to assemble collateral vessels into a usable pulmonary blood-flow pathway.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $2,232.85 for 33926 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 33926

Pulmonary artery repair

Work RVUs
43.61
Total RVUs
66.85
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$2,232.85

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 33926 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 33926 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 33926 covers

During unifocalization, the surgeon brings separate pulmonary blood-supply vessels, often major aortopulmonary collateral arteries, into a reconstructed pulmonary artery pathway. This operation is commonly part of congenital heart surgery for pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and collateral-supplied lungs. A cardiothoracic surgeon performs the reconstruction in an operating room using cardiopulmonary bypass.

Choose this code when the operative report supports pulmonary artery unifocalization and use of cardiopulmonary bypass; code 33925 is the corresponding option when bypass is not used. Document the vessels incorporated, the reconstruction performed, and bypass use. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. CMS does not permit team-surgery payment for this service.

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 33926 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

33926 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$2,022.19
Alaska*Unavailable$2,822.59
ArizonaUnavailable$2,167.23
ArkansasUnavailable$1,996.90
AtlantaUnavailable$2,317.67
AustinUnavailable$2,217.53
BakersfieldUnavailable$2,155.95
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$2,373.13
BeaumontUnavailable$2,169.98
BrazoriaUnavailable$2,159.92

33926 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
33926 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 33926 rate is calculated

Each of 33926’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 · 33926

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work43.61

43.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense12.23

12.23 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice11.01

11.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

66.8500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$2,232.85

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 33926

33926 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 33926

Pulmonary artery repair

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.84/0.07Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 33926

Pulmonary artery 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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

33926 without 51 · national facility

$2,232.85

Pulmonary artery repair

33926-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,116.43

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%).

When to use modifier 51

33926 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 33926

    Pulmonary artery repair43.61 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33925

    Pulmonary artery repair30.52 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33917

    Pulmonary artery repair24.67 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33920

    Congenital heart repair31.92 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

33925Pulmonary artery repair
This code includes cardiopulmonary bypass for pulmonary artery unifocalization. Code 33925 describes the corresponding unifocalization performed without bypass.
33917Pulmonary artery repair
Use 33917 for pulmonary artery stenosis repair with bypass. Code 33926 describes unifocalization of pulmonary blood-supply vessels, not repair of a focal stenosis.
33920Congenital heart repair
Code 33920 describes repair of pulmonary atresia. Code 33926 is selected when the operative work is pulmonary artery unifocalization with bypass.

Codes related to 33926

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

Codes related to 33926
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
33925Pulmonary artery repairPulmonary artery unifocalization without cardiopulmonary bypass.No office rate
Used instead
33917Pulmonary artery repairFor pulmonary artery stenosis repair with bypass, rather than collateral-vessel unifocalization.No office rate
33920Congenital heart repairFor pulmonary atresia repair when the operative service is atresia repair rather than unifocalization.No office rate

33926 billing questions

How does this code differ from 33925?

Both describe pulmonary artery unifocalization. Use 33926 when cardiopulmonary bypass is used and 33925 when the operation is performed without it.

What documentation supports reporting 33926?

The operative report should describe the unifocalization and pulmonary artery reconstruction, identify the vessels incorporated, and document use of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Are related postoperative visits separately reported?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant surgeon be paid for this operation?

CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment for this service. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.

How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?

When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction.

Can team-surgery payment be reported?

CMS does not permit team-surgery payment for this service.

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
RVUs for 33926PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,122 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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