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Internal Medicine Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Keep Dermabond Coding Simple

Published on Thu May 01, 2003

Question: Can I report G0168 anytime Dermabond is used in a simple laceration repair? What about if staples are also required to perform the repair?

Nebraska Subscriber

Answer: Don't make coding the use of Dermabond for simple laceration repairs complicated. Remember these five rules for using G0168 (Wound closure utilizing tissue adhesive[s] only) to represent a laceration closure complete with Dermabond only:

  • HCPCS code G0168 can be reported for Medicare patients only.
  • For non-Medicare carriers, the CPT code equivalent to code G0168 is 12011* (Simple repair of superficial wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips and/or mucous membranes; 2.5 cm or less).
  • Code G0168 can be used for Dermabond-only laceration repairs in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
  • If sutures or staples are used with Dermabond to perform a laceration repair, you can only bill the layered laceration repair code based on the length and site of the wound.
  • Code G0168 should not be reported for the use of tissue adhesives for a simple laceration repair.

     

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