# CPT 01638

> CPT 01638 is an anesthesia code, so Medicare has no single national rate: payment is (base units + time units) × the locality's anesthesia conversion factor — for example, about $360.32 for a 90-minute case in Dallas, TX under the Q3 2015 release, before sequestration.

## What it is

Covers the anesthesia care given while a surgeon replaces the shoulder joint with an artificial one, whether a standard or reverse implant is used. Within the shoulder anesthesia family, this is the entry for joint replacement itself rather than for arthroscopy, rotator cuff repair, or fracture fixation, which have their own codes. Care usually combines general anesthesia with a nerve block placed near the neck and collarbone to numb the arm for hours after surgery.

## Selected release

- Release: Q3 2015 (2015 C)
- Effective: July 1 – September 30, 2015
- Status indicator: J
- Office (non-facility) national allowed amount: not published
- Facility national allowed amount: not published
- Sequestration: not applied

## RVUs and formula

- Work RVU: not published
- Office (non-facility) practice expense RVU: not published
- Facility practice expense RVU: not published
- Malpractice RVU: not published
- Conversion factor: 35.7547
- Formula: `(work_rvu × work_gpci + pe_rvu × pe_gpci + mp_rvu × mp_gpci) × conversion_factor`

## Source and citation

- Source: Physician relative value file (Q3 2015)
- CMS file: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicare-fee-for-service-payment/physicianfeesched/downloads/rvu15c.zip
- Parsed file: PPRRVU15_UP0.V0515.csv, row 4,409
- Canonical page: https://localishealth.com/cpt/01638/2015/C
- Release-specific citation URL: https://localishealth.com/cpt/01638/2015/C
- Last significant update: 2026-08-04T03:06:00+00:00