# When to code harvest for skin grafts



## kseifert (Jan 26, 2010)

1.)When a free skin graft is performed and no repair is done on donor site. I don't code harvest. Correct? 

2.)If a harvest done on one day, sent to lab for further growth, and grafted on the patient on another date, would I have a harvest code with modifier -58, and a graft code?

Thanks,
Karen S


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## FTessaBartels (Jan 26, 2010)

*Grafts & Harvest*

Q 1) You are correct

Q 2)  The 58 modifier is used on the subsequent procedure when performed within the global period of the earlier procedure. 

Hope that helps.
F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC


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## kseifert (Jan 26, 2010)

Thanks so much Tessa
Karen S


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## elenax (Jan 27, 2010)

I don't do many skin graft...but can you explain Q#1, please Tessa?...thank you


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## FTessaBartels (Jan 28, 2010)

*Skin Grafts*

Skin grafts are coded by the *recipient *site and include harvesting of the autograft. 

The only time you would use *CPT 15040 for harvesting *skin would be when you are going to use that skin for tissue cultured skin autograft ,,, i.e. you are *not* immediately using the graft. 

If the *donor* site requires a skin graft or local flap to repair the donor site, you can code those repairs separately. 

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC


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## elenax (Feb 1, 2010)

Thank you for replying!


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## GCandy (Jun 10, 2011)

*Harvesting Skin Graft*

How to code for Dr. A who obtains the full thickness skin graft from the neck, for Dr. B to 
perform the actual graft to the ear, in the same OR session.  
Problem is that Dr. A is billing complex closure 13132, but Dr. B. will be billing for the ear graft.  These are the codes billed by Dr. A:

21016 Resection for tumor (ear)
13132 Repair complex neck
38510 Bx/exc Lymph Deep Cervical (Upper Neck)
38510 Bx/exc Lymph Deep Cervical (Supraclavicular )
38900

It appears the medical necessity is missing for the 13132 without the harvesting code.  
Can anyone advise me on this?  I don't know the code Dr. B. will be using.


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