I70.612

Billable

Atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the extremities with intermittent claudication, left leg

HCC Category Mapping

V24HCC 108 — Vascular Disease

0.297

ESRDHCC 108 — Vascular Disease

0.000

What This Code Means

Hardening and narrowing of an artificial blood vessel graft in the left leg causing leg pain or cramping during walking that goes away with rest.

Coding Tips

•Verify left leg laterality is clearly documented in the medical record before assigning this code.
•Intermittent claudication indicates the patient experiences reproducible symptoms with activity; this distinguishes it from rest pain codes.

Clinical Significance

This code captures atherosclerosis affecting nonbiological (synthetic) bypass graft(s) of the extremities with intermittent claudication in the left lower extremity, representing Fontaine Stage II peripheral arterial disease. Claudication in the context of bypass graft atherosclerosis indicates graft stenosis or progressive native vessel disease causing reproducible exercise-induced muscle pain. While less immediately threatening than rest pain or gangrene, this signals graft compromise requiring surveillance duplex imaging and potential intervention.

Documentation Requirements

✓Confirmed diagnosis of atherosclerosis affecting nonbiological (synthetic) bypass graft(s)
✓Type of bypass graft material documented (synthetic/nonbiological vs. other type such as composite or mixed-material graft)
✓Laterality clearly documented (left lower extremity)
✓History of bypass graft surgery with approximate date or timeframe
✓Current status and monitoring plan for the bypass graft
✓Documentation of exercise-induced muscle pain with specific walking distance or duration before onset
✓Relief of symptoms with rest and reproduction with activity
✓Vascular studies (ankle-brachial index at rest and post-exercise) confirming arterial etiology
✓Differentiation from spinal stenosis (neurogenic claudication) and other causes of leg pain with activity

Commonly Confused Codes

I70.511-I70.519 — Atherosclerosis of nonautologous biological bypass graft with claudication; different graft material I70.411-I70.419 — Atherosclerosis of autologous vein bypass graft with claudication; for autologous vein grafts I70.311-I70.319 — Atherosclerosis of unspecified bypass graft with claudication; only when graft type is unknown I70.211-I70.219 — Atherosclerosis of native arteries with claudication; for disease in native vessels, not grafts I70.711-I70.719 — Atherosclerosis of other type of bypass graft with claudication; for composite or other graft types M47.816-M47.819 — Spondylosis with neurogenic claudication; spinal stenosis causing leg pain mimicking vascular claudication

Code Hierarchy

└I70Atherosclerosis └I70.6Atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the extremities └I70.61Atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the extremities with intermittent claudication └I70.612Atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the extremities with intermittent claudication, left leg

└I70.612Atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the extremities with intermittent claudication, left leg