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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

You Be the Coder:

Wound Repair

Published on Fri Jun 01, 2001

Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.

Question: A patient presented with a stab wound to the leg. The wound was anesthetized and irrigated, and a drain was sutured in place. Can we capture any charge other than an E/M?

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Answer: If the documentation indicated that the physician explored the wound to identify the integrity of the surrounding nerves and blood vessels or checked for a foreign body, 20103 (exploration of penetrating wound, [separate procedure]; extremity) would be appropriate. This code also applies if the wound has to be surgically extended to explore the extent of penetration.

If the wound does not require surgical extension, laceration repair codes 12001-12057 for simple or intermediate repair may be used, depending on the length of the wound.
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