- Health care organizations have started wound care clinics to care for patients with non-healing wounds
- The care of a post-op wound is done by the surgeon in the global period, and is not separately paid, unless it is on-going and must be referred to the wound clinic
- Often, patients treated in wound clinic have underlying vascular or metabolic problems that hinder wound closure.
This article covers common CPT® codes for debridement, documentation guidelines and related issues.
Wound debridement codes
11042—11047 Use these codes when the only procedure performed in wound debridement. Use these codes for foot ulcers, vascular ulcers.
11042 – Debridement, subcutaneous tissue (includes epidermis and dermis, if performed); first 20 sq cm or less
+11045 – each additional 20 sq cm, or part thereof (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)
11043 – Debridement, muscle and/or fascia (includes epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue, If performed); first 20 sq cm or less
+11046 – each additional 20 sq cm, or part thereof (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)
11044 – Debridement, bone (includes epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and/or fascia, if performed); first 20 sq cm or less
+11047 – each additional 20 sq cm, or part thereof (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)
These codes are defined by depth and size, not anatomic site.
Documentation guidelines for CPT® codes 11042—11047
- Reported by depth of tissue that is removed and surface area of wound.
- Per CPT® Assistant, may be reported for injuries, infections and chronic ulcers.
- For a single wound report the depth using the deepest level of tissue removed (multiple depths, one wound=one code). That is, some parts of a single wound may be at the level of the subcutaneous tissue, but one section of the wound reaches the level of the fascia. Report the code for debridement of the fascia.
- For multiple wounds of the same depth, add the surface area of these wounds. For example, a patient has a wound at the subcutaneous level of the left buttock and the right heel. Since these wounds are at the same level, and debridement codes are not selected by anatomic site, add together the surface area of both wounds to select the code.
- For multiple wounds of different depths, report each separately at the deepest level for each.
