1
Indicaton: Patent has a hypertrophic scar on the posterior side of the lef leg, at the level of the knee.
This has begun to restrict his mobility. His physical therapy trial was unsuccessful. Procedure: Afer the
pro
...
1
Indicaton: Patent has a hypertrophic scar on the posterior side of the lef leg, at the level of the knee.
This has begun to restrict his mobility. His physical therapy trial was unsuccessful. Procedure: Afer the
proper inducton of anesthesia, the subcutaneous tssue of the patent’s lef leg beneath the scar was
infltrated with crystalloid soluton containing epinephrine to minimize blood loss. The scar was then
excised down to viable dermis. Hemostasis was obtained with epinephrine soaked pads. Skin was
harvested from the patent’s thigh in a split thickness fashion and was used to cover the 90 sq cm defect
created by the surgery. The graf was secured with skin staples, and then dressed with fne mesh gauze
followed by medicaton-soaked gauze. The donor site was dressed with mesh followed by Adaptc™,
followed by a dry dressing and an Ace wrap. What are the CPT® codes?
A. 15110-52, 15002
B. 15100, 11406
C. 15100, 15002
D. 15110, 15002
The physician is taking a split-thickness skin autograft from the thigh and grafting it to the patient’s left leg,
which needs repair. Look in the CPT® Index for Split/Grafts, you are referred to 15100-15101, 15120-
15121. Code 15100 is the correct code because there was less than 100 sq cm taken from the leg (thigh).
The second procedure 15002 is reported because the patient had a hypertrophic scar on the leg and the
physician is preparing the recipient’s site by excising the scar, which left a 90 sq cm defect, to provide
healthy blood vessels onto which the skin graft will be placed.
Queston 2
The physician is called in to perform repairs for a 17 year-old girl involved in a motor vehicle accident.
She sustained an 8.6 cm laceraton to her forehead, a 5.5 cm laceraton to her right cheek, a 4 cm
laceraton to her lef cheek, a 4 cm laceraton across her chin, and a 12.5 cm laceraton to her chest. The
wound on her chin required a layered closure. All other wounds required complex closure. The CPT®
codes to report are:
A. 13132, 13133 x 4, 13101, 12052
B. 13132, 13133 x 3, 13133-52, 13101, 13102, 12052
C. 13132, 13133 x 3, 13101, 13102, 12052
D. 13131, 13132, 13133 x 3, 13101, 13102, 12052First, list all lacerations by the anatomical site and/or the type of wound closure. The only site that has a
layered closure is the chin (4 cm), which is coded 12052. The remaining repairs are complex: (Forehead)
8.6 cm + (RT and LT cheek) 9.5 cm = 18.1 cm, which is coded 13132, 13133 x 3 (13132 for the first 7.5
cm and 13133 x 3 for the remaining 10.6 cm). The last site is the chest at 12.5 cm, which is coded 13101,
13102.
Queston 3
A 36 year-old male presents to have multple lesions destroyed. Three benign lesions on his face are
destroyed and fve actnic keratoses on his lef arm are destroyed. The CPT® code(s) to report is (are):
A. 17000, 17003
B. 17000, 17003 x 4, 17110
C. 17110
D. 17260 x 5, 17110 x 3
Keywords in this scenario are “actinic keratoses,” of which there are five. Code 17000 is the correct code
because the code description gives an example of what a “premalignant lesion” is in parenthesis and it is
reported for the first lesion being destroyed. Code 17003 has the word “each” in its code description,
which indicates each of the four remaining actinic keratoses lesions is reported separately. Code 17110 is
the correct code for the destruction of the three benign lesions. Code 17110 is not reported by each lesion
separately destroyed because the code description shows to report it once for destroying 1-14 lesions.
Queston 4
Patent is having ongoing back and hip pain. The physician elects to perform a sacroiliac injecton at an
ambulatory surgery center. Afer sterile prep, the patent is placed prone positon. A needle is placed
under fluoroscopic guidance into the SI joint and a mixture of 20 mg of Celestone and Marcaine is
injected for pain relief. Report the CPT® code(s).
A. 27096, 77003-26
B. 20611
C. 20552
D. 27096
27096 is the correct code because a steroid injection (Celestone and Marcaine) is placed into the
sacroiliac (SI) joint. Fluoroscopic and computed tomography (CT) guidance is included and is not reported
separately. There is a parenthetical note under the code description that states: (27096 is to be used only
with CT or fluoroscopic imaging confirmation of the intra-articular needle positioning).
Queston 5Patent is seen in the hospital’s outpatent surgical area with a diagnosis of a displaced comminuted
closed fracture of the lateral condyle, right elbow. An ORIF procedure was performed, which included
the following techniques: An incision was made in the area of the lateral epicondyle. This was carried
through subcutaneous tssue, and the fracture site was easily exposed. Inspecton revealed the fragment
to be rotated in two places, about 90 degrees. It was possible to manually reduce this quite easily, and
the manipulaton resulted in an almost anatomic reducton. This was fxed with two pins driven across
the humerus. The pins were cut off below skin level. The wound was closed with plain catgut
subcutaneously and 5-0 nylon for the skin. Dressings and a long arm cast were applied. Which is the
correct ICD-10-CM and CPT® code assignment?
A. 24579-RT, 29065-51-RT, S42.451B
B. 24577-RT, S42.451A
C. 24579-RT, S42.451A
D. 24575-RT, S42.451B
The fracture of the lateral condyle is closed because the scenario does not mention that it is an open
fracture or documents that a piece of bone has broken through the skin and is exposed. In the ICD-10-CM
Alphabetic Index, look for Fracture, traumatic/humerus/lower end/condyle/lateral (displaced). You are
referred to code S42.45-. Go to the Tabular List to report the 6th and 7th characters.The seventh character
extenders for this code are listed under category code S42. The fracture is closed you have eliminated
multiple choice answers A and D.
The next step is to figure out if the CPT® fracture care is an opened or closed treatment. Hint: The
surgeon made "an incision" to get to the fracture site. Code 24579 is the correct code because this was
an open treatment due to the surgeon making an incision to get to the fracture site and performing an
internal fixation (two pins). Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is also an indication that an open
approach is used to perform the surgery.
Queston 6
A 35 year-old female patent presents with acute onset of severe pain since October. Her workup has
revealed evidence of disk herniaton with loss of lordosis at the C5-C6. Intraoperatve fndings were
consistent with two large fragments of free disk fragments in the foramen at C5-C6 on the right side.
Afer general anesthesia, the patent was placed on the operatve table in the supine positon. All
pressure points were cushioned and a transverse skin incision was fashioned under fluoroscopic
guidance over the C5-C6 disc space. Dissecton through the platysma eventually allowed for exposure of
the anterior entrance to the vertebral body of C5 and C6 and retractors were inserted to maintain
adequate exposure. The operatng microscope was brought into the feld. Caspar posts were placed and
slight distracton allowed exposure. A complete discectomy was performed at C5-C6 by using endplate
curets pituitary rongeurs and Kerrison rongeurs. The posterior longitudinal ligament was resected and
beneath the posterior longitudinal ligament, two signifcant sized disc fragments were noted in the
foramen at C5-C6. These were removed using pituitary and Decker instruments. The endplates were
then decortcated so that they were parallel to each other and a midline keel was performed on AP and
lateral fluoroscopy. A size #1 by 5 mm interbody Kineflex-C device was placed under fluoroscopicguidance. Satsfed with the positoning of the device, the decision was made to close. What is the
correct CPT® code for this procedure?
A. 63075
B. 63081
C. 22856
D. 22554
The keyword in this operative note is “discectomy,” which in this scenario is a removal of the herniated
disk in the cervical spine. Eliminating multiple choice B. There is no documentation of the vertebrae being
fused together (arthrodesis), eliminating multiple choice D. The scenario documents end plates were
decorticated to insert an artificial disk (Kineflex-C device) to replace the cervical disk that was removed,
guiding you to code 22856
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