tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2006 Issue 8

Reader Questions: Payers Differ on Dermabond Coding Rules

Question: An elderly patient arrived at the office with a 1.4-cm skin tear on his left thigh. The surgeon cleaned the tear and used Dermabond to repair it. How should I code this encounter?Mississippi Subscriber Answer: Although CPT specifically mentions closure with tissue adhesives as a method of repair, correct code use depends on the patient's insurer. When the physician performs a single-layer closure on a patient, private carriers and Medicare have different expectations of the coder. If Medicare insures the patient, you should report G0168 (Wound closure utilizing tissue adhesive[s] only) for the encounter...

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