tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2015 Issue 9

Reader Questions: Compare Complex and Intermediate Closure

Question: Please help me code this note: Treated 10 cm linear laceration of right forehead; performed saline wound irrigation and removal of multiple pieces of dirt and gravel. Applied lidocaine with epinephrine and repaired two layers: deep layers with simple interrupted absorbable 3-0 vicryl suture, and skin layer with staples 13. SuperCoder Subscriber Answer: The correct code for the procedure is 12054 (Repair, intermediate, wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips and/or mucous membranes; 7.6 cm to 12.5 cm). You should code this as an intermediate repair because of the multiple layers and extensive cleaning. Documentation of...

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