Billing code 33779: Arterial switch repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports definitive transposition of the great arteries repair using aortic-pulmonary reconstruction when a previously placed pulmonary artery band is removed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33779 in Utah.
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 33779 covers
This code describes congenital heart surgery to correct transposition of the great arteries through reconstruction of the aortic and pulmonary artery pathways, with removal of a pulmonary artery band placed during an earlier stage of treatment. The reconstruction is generally an arterial switch-type repair that restores the great arteries to the appropriate ventricular connections. A cardiothoracic surgeon performs the operation in a hospital operating room, often as definitive repair after staged management of the congenital defect.
Select this code when the operative report supports both the aortic-pulmonary reconstruction and removal of the pulmonary artery band. Documentation should identify the transposition repair, the reconstruction performed, and the band removal; band removal is included in this service. The procedure has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons require 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.
33779 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $2,083.97 |
How the 33779 rate is calculated
Each of 33779’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 · 33779
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 42.15Practice expense 11.37Malpractice 10.64
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33779
33779 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33779
Arterial switch 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 · 33779
Arterial switch 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
33779 without 51 · national facility
$2,143.00
Arterial switch repair
33779-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,071.50
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%).
33779 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33779 vs 33778 vs 33780 vs 33781 vs 33775: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33778Arterial switch repair
- Choose 33779 when pulmonary artery band removal accompanies the aortic-pulmonary reconstruction. The related 33778 code describes that reconstruction without the band-removal distinction.
- 33780Transposition repair
- 33780 identifies reconstruction repair with closure of a ventricular septal defect. 33779 is distinguished by removal of a pulmonary artery band.
- 33781Transposition repair
- 33781 identifies reconstruction repair with treatment of subpulmonary obstruction. 33779 applies when the documented distinguishing work is pulmonary artery band removal.
- 33775Atrial switch repair
- 33775 is an atrial baffle repair that includes pulmonary artery band removal. Use 33779 for the aortic-pulmonary reconstruction approach.
33779 billing questions
How is 33779 different from 33778?
Both describe transposition repair with aortic-pulmonary reconstruction. Use 33779 when the operation also removes a pulmonary artery band; 33778 is the related reconstruction code without that band-removal distinction.
Is pulmonary artery band removal separately reported?
Band removal is part of the service described by 33779. Do not separately report the removal as an additional procedure merely because the surgeon documents that operative step.
Does 33779 describe an atrial baffle repair?
No. It describes transposition repair with aortic-pulmonary reconstruction and band removal. The atrial baffle approach is represented by a different code family, including 33775 when band removal is part of that repair.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this repair; report the operation as performed rather than treating it as a bilateral service.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
What documentation supports co-surgeon billing?
Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation. The operative record should substantiate the co-surgeon roles and the need for their participation.
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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