Wiki Split thickness graft/hidradenitis excision axilla- need advice :)

KBean2018

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Hello, I am unfamiliar with split thickness graft. I am leaning towards coding the below as 11450-50, 15120,15120. The wound vac is bundling. any thoughts or advice is appreciated. :)

SCDs were placed on bilateral lower extremities. arms were outstretched on padded foam arm rests and abducted to less than 90 degrees at the shoulder. underwent general anesthesia. was prepped and draped in the usual sterile fashion. I began by injecting 150 cc of a mixture of 266 mg exparel in 20 cc and 50 cc 0.25% marcaine diluted in 100 cc normal saline split equally as a field block into bilateral axillas and left anterolateral thigh. Her right axilla was then marked and it is 16 x 13 cm area of skin with skin pits, scarring and nodularity. This is also the hairbearing area of her right axilla. It was incised down into the subcutaneous fat and removed with cautery. The skin was sent to pathology for examination. Hemostasis was achieved. The wound was irrigated with normal saline. Using a 2-0 Vicryl pursestring suture in the dermis the wound was narrowed to dimensions measuring 10.5 x 6 cm in preparation for skin grafting. Attention was then turned to the left axilla. The same procedure was performed. On the left side to the area marked for excision measured 15 x 12 cm. After the Vicryl pursestring suture I was able to narrow the dimensions down to 10 x 6 cm. The left anterolateral thigh was then prepared for graft harvest. A dermatome mesher was used with a 4 inch blade. A 1/12 inch thick skin graft was harvested after applying mineral oil. It was meshed at a 1-1.5 ratio. 2 10 cm long passes were made with the 4 inch wide blade. The grafts were sewn into the axillas using a 5-0 chromic running suture. The donor site was dressed with Xeroform, Tegaderm, ABD and Ace wrap. Adaptic and black foam wound VAC spongewere placed over the axillary skin grafts. Both of the back to her bridged to beneath her clavicles. The VAC's were then connected through Y adapter to a single machine and set at 125 mm of continuous pressure. The system was functioning with a slight leak but was holding pressure. Patient was then awakened from anesthesia without complication and transferred to the recovery room in stable condition. At the end of the case all the needle, sponge and instrument counts were correct x 2 and I was present for the entire case.

thank you so much
 
Grafting codes are determined by adding the total of the surface area of the wounds and then selecting the code based on the total size and the location:


In your case, the right side wound is 10.5cm x 6cm = 63cm and the left side was 10cm x 6cm = 60cm so your total is 123cm

It is a split thickness graft of the trunk so you would choose code 15100 for the first 100 cm2 plus code 15101 for the additonal 23 cm2.

So you would bill 11450-50
15100
15101
 
Grafting codes are determined by adding the total of the surface area of the wounds and then selecting the code based on the total size and the location:


In your case, the right side wound is 10.5cm x 6cm = 63cm and the left side was 10cm x 6cm = 60cm so your total is 123cm

It is a split thickness graft of the trunk so you would choose code 15100 for the first 100 cm2 plus code 15101 for the additonal 23 cm2.

So you would bill 11450-50
15100
15101
but 15100 and 15101 specifically state are for infants, is there a specific code for adults?
 
but 15100 and 15101 specifically state are for infants, is there a specific code for adults?
I think you may be mis-reading the code descriptions, missing the "or".
15100 Split-thickness autograft, trunk, arms, legs; first 100 sq cm or less, or 1% of body area of infants and children (except 15050)

This means for infants and children you use 1% of body area. For adults, you would use first 100 sq cm or less.
 
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