tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2002 Issue 8

Reader Question: Wound Debridement

Question: We have always used the 11000-series codes for wound debridement, but recently I noticed 97601 and 97602. Should we use 97601-97602 in place of 11040-11044?General Surgery Discussion Group Participant Answer: Active wound-care management codes 97601 (Removal of devitalized tissue from wound[s]; selective debridement, without anesthesia [e.g., high pressure waterjet, sharp selective debridement with scissors, scalpel and tweezers], including topical application[s], wound assessment, and instruction[s] for ongoing care, per session) and 97602 ( non-selective debridement, without anesthesia [e.g., wet-to-moist dressings, enzymatic, abrasion] ) were developed by the AMA CPT editorial panel for inclusion in CPT 2001...

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