# 26115 vs 11422



## Ksumansky (Jun 1, 2010)

Hello......
I am having difficulty discerning between code 26115 Excision tumor or vascular malformation and 11422 Excision benign lesion.

My OP report reads as follows:

An incision Bruner Style in nature directly overlying the mass, volar proximal phalanx was marked.....Sharp dissection was used to go skin and blunt dissection through subcutaneous tissues and followed through fascia.  It was sitting on top of the digital neurovascular bundle, radial side and this was protected.  It was bluntly dissected free, fully excised and sent for pathology........The patient's wound was closed by 4-0 nylon sutures in an interrupted fashion.

Path report returned as 1.5 epidermal inclusion cyst

So....I am debating between 26115 because it seems to of been deeper than 11422.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Kelly


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## capricew (Jun 1, 2010)

11422 codes deal specifically with the top layer of skin only the dermis, so in your case you would code 26113 or 26116 (depending on the size of the lesion) because the doctor dictated that he went thru the fascia.


BE SURE TO GET THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THE INCISION REQUIRED TO CUT OUT THE LESION.  YOU SHOULD NOT GO BY WHAT THE PATH REPORT SAYS BECAUSE TISSUE CAN SHRINK

Hope this helps

caprice -- cpc


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