Dermatology Coding Alert

Question: Our dermatologist removed a skin cancer lesion on a patient's ear, and he performed a wedge resection for the repair. Does anyone know which code I should use for a wedge resection and repair of an ear lobe?

Michigan Subscriber

Answer: You should report a code from the series for the excision of malignant lesions (11640-11646) and a code from the series for adjacent tissue transfer or rearrangement (14000-14350). 

According to the scenario you describe, you should report either code 14060 (Adjacent tissue transfer or rearrangement, eyelids, nose, ears and/or lips; defect 10 sq cm or less) or 14061 (... defect 10.1 sq cm to 30.0 sq cm) depending on the size of the defect.

You should report the appropriate repair code if the repair required more than a simple closure.

- Answers to You Be the Coder and Reader Questions were reviewed by Linda Martien, CPC, CPC-H, National Healthcare Review in Woodland Hills, Calif.; and William J. Conner, MD, physician at Meridian Medical Group, a multispecialty practice in Charlotte, N.C.