ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

04RE47Z

Replacement Internal Iliac Artery, Right to No Qualifier with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body System4 Lower Arteries
OperationR Replacement
Body PartE Internal Iliac Artery, Right
Approach4 Percutaneous Endoscopic
Device7 Autologous Tissue Substitute
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Putting in or on biological or synthetic material that physically takes the place and/or function of all or a portion of a body part

Procedure Overview

Replacement procedures in the lower arteries involve taking out a diseased or damaged arterial segment and putting in synthetic graft material or biological tissue to physically stand in for that piece of vessel. This is distinct from simply patching or reinforcing an artery, since the native segment is functionally substituted rather than preserved and bolstered.

A classic example is an aortobifemoral or femoral-popliteal graft placed after removing a severely diseased, occluded, or aneurysmal segment of artery, using a synthetic conduit such as Dacron or PTFE, or in some cases a harvested vein used as a full segmental replacement. Patients typically arrive at this procedure after conservative management or angioplasty has failed, or when an aneurysm poses a rupture risk that mandates excising the weakened wall.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Internal Iliac Artery, Right

The right internal iliac artery, also called the hypogastric artery, supplies the pelvic viscera, gluteal muscles, and portions of the perineum on the right side, making its preservation important for maintaining bowel, bladder, and sexual function whenever feasible. Replacement is less common than for larger axial vessels and is generally reserved for aneurysmal degeneration extending from the common iliac artery, iatrogenic injury during pelvic surgery, or complex hypogastric aneurysms not amenable to embolization or endovascular exclusion. Because the vessel branches extensively within the pelvis shortly after its origin, only the proximal trunk is typically accessible for open replacement with a short graft segment. Surgeons must weigh replacement against ligation, since sacrificing this artery can be tolerated due to collateral pelvic circulation, a consideration that shapes the operative approach and subsequent documentation.

Approach: Percutaneous Endoscopic

Percutaneous Endoscopic combines a puncture through skin or mucous membrane with insertion of an endoscope to visualize the procedure internally, as in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is distinguished from plain Percutaneous by the presence of scope-guided visualization, and from Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic by its route being a new puncture rather than an existing orifice or stoma.

Device: Autologous Tissue Substitute

Autologous Tissue Substitute identifies a device value where material harvested from the patient's own body, such as an autograft, is used to replace or reconstruct a body part. Its defining feature is tissue origin from the patient, setting it apart from Nonautologous Tissue Substitute, sourced from a donor or animal, and Synthetic Substitute, made of manufactured material.

Coding & Documentation

The operative report must clearly establish that a segment of native artery was excised or its function replaced, and that a graft or biological material took its place, distinguishing this from Bypass, where the diseased segment is left in place and a new route is constructed around it. Coders should identify the specific arterial body part value replaced and the device value representing the graft material, whether autologous, nonautologous, or synthetic.

A common error is coding a bypass graft as a Replacement when the original artery segment was left intact and simply routed around; another is failing to capture the correct device value when a combination of graft materials was used in a single reconstruction.

Commonly Confused With

BypassBypass is the procedure most often mixed up with Replacement because both use graft material, but Bypass creates an alternate route while leaving the native, diseased vessel in place, whereas Replacement removes the native segment outright.
SupplementSupplement can also be confused with Replacement when a graft is used to reinforce rather than substitute for a vessel wall; if the native artery remains and the graft simply adds strength or bulk, Supplement is the correct root operation instead.