Benzinga | Mar 8, 2021 08:41AM EST

Apollo Endosurgery Reports Assignment Of Category I Current Procedrual Terminology Codes For Deployment Of Gastric Bariatric Device Under Endoscopic Guidance

Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. ("Apollo") (NASDAQ:APEN), a global leader in minimally invasive medical devices for gastrointestinal and bariatric procedures, announced the assignment of Category I Current Procedural Terminology (CPT(r)) codes with short form descriptor esophagogastroduodenoscopy with deployment of gastric bariatric device (e.g., balloon) under endoscopic guidance. The codes and descriptor will be used for procedures that use the Orbera(r) Intragastric Balloon starting January 1, 2023.

"A number of physician and surgical societies worked collaboratively on this effort. We extend our appreciation to the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) for their continued leadership efforts to advocate on behalf of their members and the patients they serve," said Dr. Christopher Gostout, Chief Medical Officer of Apollo.

"We are pleased by the AMA's decision to create category I CPT codes to identify the intragastric balloon procedure, which represents another milestone for patients seeking treatment for obesity with a BMI between 30-40 kg/m2. The AMA CPT decision is a positive reflection of the significant clinical evidence supporting the Orbera(r) Intragastric Balloon, with more than 230 peer-reviewed clinical publications and over 300,000 balloons distributed worldwide," said Chas McKhann, CEO of Apollo.