A 5-year-old is brought to the QuickCare in the ED to repair two lacerations: a 3 cm laceration on her right arm and 2 cm laceration on her nose. Her arm is repaired with a simple one-layer closure with sutures. Her nose is repaired with a simple repair using tissue adhesive, 2-cyanoacrylate.
How are the repairs reported?
Answer D is crct bcz arm and nose are different groups so code both with the modifier 59
Per CPT guidelines, do not add lengths of repairs from different groupings of anatomic sites (eg. face and extremities) and classification (eg. intermediate and complex repairs) and when more than one classification of wounds is repaired, list the more complicated as the primary and the less complicated as secondary, therefore the answer is D with modifier 59 to indicate that they are different procedures.
I agree, answer D, because 2 sites, the greater one listed first, the second, smaller site with modifier 59.
Aswer is C because we cannot code the cyanoacrylate adhesive.
C is right answer because repair by adhesive tissue will not be coded ..so we will assign only arm repair by 12002
D is right because it's clearly mentioned under the repair guidelines that we should code repair for tissue adhesives ( eg 2- cyano acrylate)
simple repair
simple repair laceration of the right arm and nose
Tissue adhesives with simple repair needs to be coded. Arm is simple repair with 3cm we go with 12002. Nose is simple repair with adhesive tissue and is distinct service we use mod 59 to code 12011.
As per the section guidelines under "Repair (closure)" : Chemical cauterization, electrocauterization and Utilizing Adhesive strips as sole repair material are included in E/M code. Tissue Adhesives are to be coded separately.