# help with suture removal of repair



## mokeyg (Feb 13, 2008)

Question: If a physician repairs an open wound with sutures at one place of service and then the patient goes to another physician, outside of the original place of service for the suture removal, how is that coded?
I was told before to code the initial repair with modifier 55 and now I am told to code only an E/M.
Can anyone help?

Thanks


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## keevans (Feb 14, 2008)

I have been told to only charge an e&m if you are not the phys who did the closure, the only problem with charging 55 mod on procedures is that there is only a small amount of the global fee left for post op modifier and you will prob be better off using the e&m.


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## ASH527 (Feb 25, 2008)

I have come across this situation & it should be coded/billed as follows:
the physician who did the repair should bill their code with modifier 54 and the physician who is doing the suture removal should bill and E&M code with modifier 55.


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