For a patient who had intermediate closure of a laceration, what is the correct report code for a 1 cm laceration of the neck?

For a patient who had intermediate closure of a laceration, what is the correct report code for a 1 cm laceration of the neck?

• A. 12042
• B. 99455
• C. 25031-RT
• D. 90792

Answer: (A)

The code 12042 is the appropriate choice for reporting an intermediate closure of a laceration that is 1 cm in length. In surgical coding, lacerations are categorized based on their complexity - simple, intermediate, or complex. Intermediate closure typically involves layered closure of the skin and subcutaneous tissues and is often used for lacerations that require more careful attention than simple closures, such as those on more complex structures like the neck. The specific code 12042 refers to an intermediate layer closure for superficial wounds on the neck, face, ears, eyelids, and scalp that measure between 2.6 cm and 7.5 cm. However, while the laceration in the question is 1 cm, if it is established that the wound is still treated as intermediate due to other factors, this code may still apply. The key element is recognizing that it pertains to an intermediate repair, which would necessitate appropriate coding in the context of the closure technique used. The other codes do not apply here: 99455 relates to work done in a patient evaluation and management context, 25031-RT is for the treatment of diabetes, and 90792 involves psychiatric evaluations, none of which are relevant to the procedure described

The code 12042 is the appropriate choice for reporting an intermediate closure of a laceration that is 1 cm in length. In surgical coding, lacerations are categorized based on their complexity - simple, intermediate, or complex. Intermediate closure typically involves layered closure of the skin and subcutaneous tissues and is often used for lacerations that require more careful attention than simple closures, such as those on more complex structures like the neck.

The specific code 12042 refers to an intermediate layer closure for superficial wounds on the neck, face, ears, eyelids, and scalp that measure between 2.6 cm and 7.5 cm. However, while the laceration in the question is 1 cm, if it is established that the wound is still treated as intermediate due to other factors, this code may still apply. The key element is recognizing that it pertains to an intermediate repair, which would necessitate appropriate coding in the context of the closure technique used.

The other codes do not apply here: 99455 relates to work done in a patient evaluation and management context, 25031-RT is for the treatment of diabetes, and 90792 involves psychiatric evaluations, none of which are relevant to the procedure described