# Can we bill for suture removal ??



## Orthocoderpgu (Aug 4, 2009)

Patient comes in who has previusly had surgery. Because of the patient's age, it seems that they "forgot" to get the sutures removed. Our doc evaluated a UTI and abdominal mass. Our doc notices that the patient's sutures have never been removed and need to be. He removes 9 of them that the surgeon did not because the patient did not go back. 

Can our doc charge for removing these and if so, how?


----------



## FTessaBartels (Aug 4, 2009)

*Only as part of the E/M*

Suture removal will be part of your E/M visit. The only time you can code/bill this separately is when you take the patient to the OR for removal under anesthesia. 

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC


----------



## LLovett (Aug 4, 2009)

There is a code for this but it is not covered by Medicare, which I am guessing your patient is probably on.

S0630 Removal of sutures; by a physician other than the physician who originally closed the wound.

Laura, CPC, CEMC


----------



## bhaskins1 (Aug 4, 2009)

I don't bill medicare because I am working for a pediatrician's office but we frequently remove sutures that were placed by someone else.  The S0630 code that Laura mentiond is the code we use.  If an unrelated E/M was performed on the same date you can also code for it using a modifer 25 on the office visit.  We do receive remibursement from some commercial carriers on this service. 

Hope this helps.


----------

