Wiki Repair of lacerations

[khopstein]

The patient had 4 cm laceration on left knee, 5 cm laceration on right knee, and 8cm laceration on right heel. For complex repair of these, do I group together the knee lacerations and use 13121 and 13122. Or, do I use 13121 for the right knee and 13121 for left knee? Laceration of heel is 13132 and 13133.

 

[FTessaBartels]

Lacerations are added

Length of multiple same class repairs in the same body area "family" are added together.

So you would add together the two repairs on the knees. You would code the repair of the heel laceration separately (foot is separate from legs in the CPT codes).

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC

 

[khopstein]

Thanks a bunch. That's the way I did it, but was doubting myself for a minute.