# purse string closure



## Rumour2u (Mar 15, 2011)

One of my residents asked me how he should measure a purse string closure of a lesion excision.... He wanted to know if it was by circumference or length? Since I've never coded a purse string closure, I thought I would ask for help...
Can anyone advise the proper way to measure this type of closure for coding? This would be for excision of a malignant lesion.
Thanks.


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## FTessaBartels (Mar 17, 2011)

*Simple closure?*

This sounds like it may be a simple - i.e. single layer - closure ... which is INCLUDED in the removal of the lesion and is *not *separately coded.

However, to answer the question of how to measure ... across the diameter of the wound (i.e. length).

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC


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