drewbart@sbcglobal.net
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Hello Coders!
Does anyone have information on wound vacs added during a surgery with debridement? Are coders following 2018 information from SCCM below? I've seen threads which state that when wound vacs are added during a surgery that it is inclusive to surgery and considered the closure? Our surgeries are meeting the minimum documentation criteria listed below so I would like to confirm if we can code for the addition of the wound vacs.(applicable code 97605-97608) Thank you to all you wonderful gurus out there for info and assistance!
https://www.sccm.org/Communications/Critical-Connections/Archives/2018/Wound-Care-Coding
Wound Vacuum-Assisted Closure Codes
CPT codes 97605 and 97606 are used when negative-pressure wound therapy is all that is performed (e.g., placement of a wound vacuum on an open wound). These procedures may also be reported when the wound is debrided or excised and there is no closure (the wound vacuum is acting as a closure device). Do not report these codes when the wound vacuum is used as a dressing (e.g., the wound is closed and a wound vacuum is placed). These CPT codes now require durable medical equipment (DME) (e.g., reusable equipment) and are usually electronically powered.
CPT codes 97607 and 97608 are used for services provided using disposable devices such as mechanically powered devices. Unlike electronically powered devices, mechanically powered devices are not considered DME because of their disposable nature.
Documentation for Wound Care
Be sure the documentation includes a legible procedure note. Document the tools used (curette, scalpel, and/or other instruments) and the frequency of surgical debridement. Also document the measurement of total devitalized tissue (wound surface) before and after surgical debridement. Document the area and depth of devitalized tissue actually removed from the wound (not just the depth of the wound). Blood loss and description of tissue removed should be documented, along with evidence of the progress of the wound’s response to treatment. This documentation must include, at a minimum:
Does anyone have information on wound vacs added during a surgery with debridement? Are coders following 2018 information from SCCM below? I've seen threads which state that when wound vacs are added during a surgery that it is inclusive to surgery and considered the closure? Our surgeries are meeting the minimum documentation criteria listed below so I would like to confirm if we can code for the addition of the wound vacs.(applicable code 97605-97608) Thank you to all you wonderful gurus out there for info and assistance!
https://www.sccm.org/Communications/Critical-Connections/Archives/2018/Wound-Care-Coding
Wound Vacuum-Assisted Closure Codes
CPT codes 97605 and 97606 are used when negative-pressure wound therapy is all that is performed (e.g., placement of a wound vacuum on an open wound). These procedures may also be reported when the wound is debrided or excised and there is no closure (the wound vacuum is acting as a closure device). Do not report these codes when the wound vacuum is used as a dressing (e.g., the wound is closed and a wound vacuum is placed). These CPT codes now require durable medical equipment (DME) (e.g., reusable equipment) and are usually electronically powered.
CPT codes 97607 and 97608 are used for services provided using disposable devices such as mechanically powered devices. Unlike electronically powered devices, mechanically powered devices are not considered DME because of their disposable nature.
Documentation for Wound Care
Be sure the documentation includes a legible procedure note. Document the tools used (curette, scalpel, and/or other instruments) and the frequency of surgical debridement. Also document the measurement of total devitalized tissue (wound surface) before and after surgical debridement. Document the area and depth of devitalized tissue actually removed from the wound (not just the depth of the wound). Blood loss and description of tissue removed should be documented, along with evidence of the progress of the wound’s response to treatment. This documentation must include, at a minimum:
- Current wound volume (surface dimension and depth)
- Presence (and extent) or absence of obvious signs of infection
- Presence (and extent) or absence of necrotic, devitalized, or nonviable tissue
- Material in the wound that is expected to inhibit healing or promote adjacent tissue breakdown