dermabond

[DawnCook]

Is there a code for a physician using dermabond to close a wound or is it part of the e/m?
Dawn Cook

 

[OCD_coder]

Dermabond is considered a simple repair.

But.....
Medicare has given tissue adhesive (Dermabond) the code G0168 (wound closure utilizing tissue adhesive only). Previously, internists treating wounds with Dermabond filed their Medicare claims using E/M codes .

Medicare created the new G code because it felt laceration repair with Dermabond was so much different compared to sutures or staples, says Kathy Pride, CPC, an internal medicine coder and coding supervisor for Martin Memorial Medical Group, a 350-bed hospital in Stuart, Fla. Medicare only wanted the CPT laceration repair codes used for sutures and staples. It felt using tissue adhesive was not a comparable type of procedure.

Dermabond is a brand-name liquid adhesive containing a monomeric (2-octyl cyanoacrylate) formulation that comes in a single-use applicator. Intended as a topical application only, three or four layers of Dermabond are applied to an approximated wound, usually held together with special forceps because the liquid polymerizes within minutes. Dermabond can be used with, but not in place of, subcuticular sutures.

http://goarticles.com/article/Codin...ceration-Repairs-Is-Carrier-specific/6278295/