General Surgery Coding Alert
Use 'G' Code for Medicare Closure
Question: We have one surgeon who likes to use tissue adhesive instead of placing a suture for many cases like laceration repair. Can we use the laceration repair codes such as 12001 without the suture?
Texas Subscriber
Answer: Depending on the payer, you have two code choices for your example: 12001 (Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities [including hands and feet]; 2.5 cm or less) or G0168 (Wound closure utilizing tissue adhesive[s] only).
You can use repair codes from the CPT® range 12001-13160 when your surgeon performs wound closure using sutures, staples, or tissue adhesives. So, it is not necessary that you will have to restrict usage of repair codes only when your clinician used a suture for laceration repair.
Unless a payer, such as Medicare, is specific about using the HCPCS code, most payers will look for the CPT® repair codes when your clinician performs laceration repair. For Medicare, you should stick to G0168.
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