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Hyperthermia, as defined by CPT® Code 77600, refers to a medical procedure that involves the externally generated elevation of temperature in a targeted area, specifically to a depth of 4 centimeters or less. This technique is primarily utilized to treat superficial or subcutaneous tumor cells while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. The procedure is based on the principle that tumor cells exhibit heightened sensitivity to increased temperatures compared to normal cells. By raising the temperature of these malignant cells, hyperthermia can enhance the therapeutic effects of concurrent treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. Additionally, the procedure may stimulate the immune system's components, which play a crucial role in the destruction of abnormal cells. The heat required for this treatment can be generated through various methods, including microwave, radiofrequency, or ultrasound, and is applied to a precisely defined area using specialized applicators. Typically, hyperthermia therapy is administered 1 to 2 times per week, culminating in a total of 10 to 12 treatment sessions. Following each session, tumor cells may develop thermotolerance within 8 to 12 hours, with the temperature gradually returning to normal levels over the course of 2 to 4 days. The code 77600 encompasses not only the hyperthermia treatment itself but also the management of the treatment course, the physics planning involved, the insertion of temperature sensors, and the utilization of heat-generating sources.
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The procedure of externally generated hyperthermia, as described by CPT® Code 77600, is indicated for various conditions, particularly those involving tumor cells. The following are the explicitly provided indications for this treatment:
The procedure for externally generated hyperthermia involves several critical steps, each designed to ensure effective treatment while safeguarding surrounding healthy tissue. The following procedural steps are outlined:
Following the hyperthermia treatment, patients may experience a recovery period during which the body gradually returns to its normal temperature. It is expected that tumor cells will develop thermotolerance within 8 to 12 hours after the session, which may influence the timing of subsequent treatments. The normal temperature of the treated area typically returns within 2 to 4 days. During this recovery phase, patients are monitored for any potential side effects or complications, and follow-up appointments are scheduled to assess the overall effectiveness of the treatment. Additionally, ongoing management of the treatment course, including any necessary adjustments to the overall cancer treatment plan, is essential for optimizing patient outcomes.
| Short Descr | HYPERTHERMIA EXT GEN SUPFC | Medium Descr | HYPERTHERMIA EXTERNALLY GENERATED SUPERFICIAL | Long Descr | Hyperthermia, externally generated; superficial (ie, heating to a depth of 4 cm or less) | Status Code | Restricted Coverage | Global Days | XXX - Global Concept Does Not Apply | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 1 - Diagnostic Tests for Radiology Services | Multiple Procedures (51) | 0 - No payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 0 - Payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | APC Status Indicator | Procedure or Service, Not Discounted when Multiple | ASC Payment Indicator | Radiology service paid separately when provided integral to a surgical procedure on ASC list; payment based on OPPS relative payment weight. | Type of Service (TOS) | 6 - Therapeutic Radiology | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | P7B - Oncology - other | MUE | 1 | CCS Clinical Classification | 211 - Therapeutic radiology |
| XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure | 59 | Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25. | 79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: the individual may need to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by using modifier 79. (for repeat procedures on the same day, see modifier 76.) | 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | GV | Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider | Q6 | Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | 76 | Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | AG | Primary physician | Q1 | Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | RT | Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body) |
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| 2025-01-01 | Changed | Short and Medium Descriptions changed. |
| 2017-01-01 | Changed | Moderate (Conscious) Sedation flag removed. See new Moderate Sedation category. |
| Pre-1990 | Added | Code added. |
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