Banner

Defining “under anesthesia”

Article

Are you able to clarify code 26340? Does “under anesthesia” mean that the patient needs to be under general anesthesia? Or at a facility using anesthesia other than local?

Question: Are you able to clarify code 26340? Does “under anesthesia” mean that the patient needs to be under general anesthesia? Or at a facility using anesthesia other than local?

Answer: According to the AAOS, “January 1999 CPT Assistant noted that the phrase “with or under anesthesia” in a code description meant under general anesthesia. But by 2002, this information was outdated and the terms ‘under anesthesia’ or ‘with anesthesia’ are now understood to reflect the appropriate anesthesia for a given patient and/or given situation.” (Source: AAOS archives) Individual payers, of course, may have their own interpretations.

Recent Videos
What is the real
Pearls profiles: Get to know Neil Baum, MD
Pearls profiles: Get to know Neil Baum, MD
Are your patients satisfied?
9 pitfalls to avoid in your practice
Practice lessons from the works of Mark Twain
Practice lessons from the works of Mark Twain
The three stages of a physician's career
Using AI agents
Jennifer Wiggins
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.