A patient presents with multiple skin lacerations on the lower arm. The physician performs simple repair of a 2.3 cm wound, closes a single layer of skin over a 5.2 cm wound, and closes a 1.2 cm wound with sterile adhesive strips. Using the CPT codes provided below, select the appropriate code(s) for these procedures:
12001 Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities; 2.5 cm or less
12002 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm
12004 7.6 cm to 12.5 cm
12005 12.6 cm to 20.0 cm
12006 20.1 cm to 30.0 cm
12007 over 30.0 cm

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct code is 12002 because the total length of the wounds that required simple repair (2.3 cm + 5.2 cm = 7.5 cm) falls within the range of 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm. The wound closed with sterile adhesive strips is not included in the total length calculation for simple repair coding.

A Patient Presents with Multiple Skin Lacerations on the Lower