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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Laceration Repairs:

Wound Repairs of the Lips and Mouth: Have Your Papers in Order Before Crossing the Vermillion Border

Published on Tue Aug 23, 2011

Understand the anatomical differences in the mouth repair codes to ethically maximize your revenue.Wounds of the mouth can be tricky because of the sensitivity and delicate tissues involved, but also because of the cosmetic considerations of this highly visible area. The exact location and extent of the repair in question will determine which code to report for these common ED scenarios.Todd Thomas, CPC, CCS-P, President of ERcoder, Inc. in Edmond, OK offers these tips for choosing the right code:Most ED coders are very familiar with the repair or closure codes for suturing wounds of various anatomical sites and lengths. Based on the classification of the presenting mouth injury, you would choose a code from one of the following simple, intermediate, or complex groups to match the length of the repair, advises Thomas.1201x -- Simple repair of superficial wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips and/or mucous membranes;1205x -- Repair, intermediate, wounds of [...]
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