Wiki adjacent transfer 14000-14061

[benaxixon]

Hi,
I'm confuse. In the CPT book the description stated the measurement in sq cm but the operative report I have read stated the measurement in cm or mm. How would I know which code to apply if the measure is not match up the description? Please advise. Thank you.

 

[mitchellde]

You have to convert the mm to cm and then do the math to figure the sq cm. This is surface area so depth is not a consideration, it is just length and width.

 

[benaxixon]

so if the excision is 2cm of a mass, and margin is 1 cm, how would i code that to be sq. cm? or if the margin is 1 mm? Please advise. Thank you

 

[mitchellde]

Can you post the entire note? It is based on the size of the tissue transfer not the size of the mass per se. what you have given me looks like a circular excision. what we need to know is the size of the defect created by the excision. This will then tell us the size of the graft. If it is not documented then you will need to have the physician amend the documentation to provide this information. Otherwise we cannot code for the tissue graft we can code the excision and will assume then a simple closure.