Winter Laceration Repair: How Do I Code For Dermabond?

Posted on 17. Jan, 2010 by sanjay.aikat.

Warning: Your coding will vary depending on who’s getting the claim

Question: A 60-year-old patient reports to the ED with a bandaged left hand. The patient says she was cleaning out the blades of her snow blower and cut her left index finger; the wound is wrapped in gauze, but it is reddening with blood. During an expanded problem focused history and exam, the physician undresses the wound, applies pressure and ice to stop the bleeding, and cleans it using Betadine. During the E/M service, the physician notes a laceration to the index finger but no signs of infection. Using Dermabond, the physician closes a 2.7 cm laceration on the patient’s finger. How should I code this encounter?

Answer…

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Suture Removal Coding: 5 Questions That Lead You to Maximum Ethical Reimbursement

Posted on 03. Aug, 2009 by .

Eye-Opener: Your E/M usually ranks higher than problem-focused.

If you pigeonhole encounters involving suture removal as 99212s, you could be cutting yourself short — or possibly overcharging your service. To tell whether you need to code more or less for laceration follow-up care, answer these 5 questions.

1: Did Your Physician Complete the Repair?

Yes: If your dermatologist or a physician within your group places the sutures, you shouldn’t bill for their removal, confirms Tracy Russell, CBCS, a coder in Westminster, Md. The laceration repair code includes uncomplicated, related postoperative follow-up visits and suture removal.

No: If another physician places the sutures and your dermatologist removes them, you can bill for the wound check and removal.

AUDIO EXTRA: Lesion excision coding made easy. With Betty Johnson.

2: Are You Providing a 2-Day Post-ER Check?

Physicians are sometimes called upon to evaluate wounds a couple of days after the hospital’s Emergency Room staff completes laceration repairs.

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