Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Question: A patient presents with a 1.5-cm laceration of the ear, and the otolaryngologist performs an intermediate repair. The patient also has a 3.6-cm nose laceration that requires a simple repair. How should I report these procedures?Connecticut SubscriberAnswer: In this case, you should report the intermediate wound separately from the simple closure. Therefore, claim 12051 (Repair, intermediate, wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, and/or mucous membranes; 2.5 cm or less) for the ear repair and 12013 (Simple repair of superficial wounds of face, ears,eyelids, nose, lips and/or mucous membranes; 2.6 cm to 5.0 cm) for the nose repair.Remember: You should report these two repairs separately because they are not the same type of repair -- one (12013) is simple, and the other (12051) is intermediate. If the otolaryngologist performed two simple (or intermediate) repairs and she completed the procedures at the same anatomic area, you would add their lengths together [...]