tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2003 Issue 12

Reader Question: Cleaning Extensive Debris Can Elevate Codes

Question: A patient presented with a long laceration on her leg caused by a broken pane of glass. The physician cleaned and closed the cut with sutures. It was a single-layer closure of a 13.6-centimeter wound, but the physician spent 42 minutes cleaning an extensive amount of glass out of the area before closing it. Is this a simple or intermediate repair?Louisiana Subscriber Answer: The extra work involved raises this procedure to intermediate status. Report the repair with 12035 (Layer closure of wounds of scalp, axillae, trunk and/or extremities [excluding hands and feet]; 12.6 cm to...

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