Billing code 33800: AortopexyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Aortopexy suspends the aorta anteriorly to relieve documented tracheal compression, typically when vascular impingement contributes to severe tracheomalacia.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33800 in Oregon.
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 9 sections
What 33800 covers
Aortopexy moves the aorta away from the trachea by securing it anteriorly, typically toward the sternum. Thoracic or congenital cardiac surgeons perform it in an operating room when vascular compression contributes to clinically significant airway obstruction, often in a patient with severe tracheomalacia. The operative report should identify the compressing aortic anatomy and describe the suspension performed; airway symptoms alone do not establish that this procedure was done.
Report this code when the surgeon performs aortic suspension for tracheal compression, rather than dividing an aberrant vessel or repairing a different vascular lesion. Documentation should support the indication, operative anatomy, and suspension technique. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, co-surgeons are permitted, 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 33800 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $934.71 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $893.24 |
How the 33800 rate is calculated
Each of 33800’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 · 33800
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 16.85Practice expense 6.94Malpractice 4.24
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33800
33800 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33800
Aortopexy
| 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) | 2 | Permitted. |
| 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 · 33800
Aortopexy
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
33800 without 51 · national facility
$936.23
Aortopexy
33800-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$468.12
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%).
33800 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33800 vs 33802 vs 33803 vs 33820: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33802Vessel division
- Choose 33800 for anterior suspension of the aorta to relieve tracheal compression. Code 33802 describes division of an aberrant vessel.
- 33803Aberrant vessel repair
- Code 33803 describes division of an aberrant vessel followed by reanastomosis; it is not the code for suspending the aorta.
- 33820PDA repair
- Code 33820 describes repair of a patent ductus by ligation. Use 33800 when the operation suspends the aorta to address tracheal compression.
33800 billing questions
When is aortopexy reported instead of division of an aberrant vessel?
Report aortopexy when the surgeon suspends the aorta anteriorly to relieve tracheal compression. Division of an aberrant vessel describes a different operation directed at that vessel.
Does the 90-day global period include routine postoperative care?
Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral work?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, and co-surgeons are permitted. Team surgery is not permitted.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect this code?
When procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others.
What operative documentation supports this code?
Document the aortic anatomy causing tracheal compression and the anterior suspension performed. The record should distinguish aortopexy from a vessel division or another vascular repair.
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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