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Orthopedic Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Bill for Suture Removal With Anesthesia

Published on Wed Jan 01, 2003

Question: Can we bill for removing a patients cast and sutures? Maryland Subscriber Answer: If your physician applied the cast, he or she cannot charge for removing it. The cast removal codes (29700-29715) include the instructional note "Codes for cast removals should be employed only for casts applied by another physician."

If you removed the sutures while the patient was under anesthesia, report either 15850 (Removal of sutures under anesthesia [other than local], same surgeon) or 15851 (Removal of sutures under anesthesia [other than local], other surgeon). If you did not use anesthesia, you cannot bill separately for removing the sutures.  
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