Atherectomy is a procedure to remove plaque, or fatty buildup, from arteries. The physician may choose atherectomy over angioplasty if the plaque has become too hardened to remove using a balloon, and it must be scraped away. Do not confuse atherectomy with the similar-sounding arthrectomy, which describes joint excision. Atherectomies are relatively straightforward to report, and you can select an appropriate atherectomy code simply by knowing which artery the physician treats (aorta, femoral, iliac, etc.) [...]
