2025 CPT code 15003
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Integumentary System Surgery Feed
Surgical preparation of an additional 100 sq cm or 1% body area for skin graft recipient site on trunk, arms, or legs.
Modifiers may be applicable depending on the circumstances, such as 59 (distinct procedural service) if multiple procedures are performed.Refer to the CPT manual for more information.
Medical necessity for 15003 is established when the extent of the wound, burn, or contracture necessitates preparation of an additional area beyond the initial 100 sq cm (or 1% body surface area in children under 10) to facilitate optimal skin graft placement. This may be necessary for achieving adequate wound closure or functional improvement.
The surgeon's responsibility includes preparing the recipient site for skin grafting, which may involve excision of open wounds, burn eschar, or scar tissue. This includes preparing the subcutaneous tissue, achieving hemostasis, and creating a clean, healthy tissue bed for optimal graft adherence and integration.
In simple words: This code is for preparing extra skin areas for a skin graft.If you are getting a skin graft, this code covers extra prep work on the area that needs the new skin.
This CPT code, 15003, represents the surgical preparation of an additional area of 100 square centimeters (sq cm) or 1% of the body surface area (for infants and children under 10 years old) for skin graft placement.This is performed at the same encounter as the initial skin graft preparation (CPT code 15002). The procedure involves preparing an open wound, burn eschar, or scar contracture site on the trunk, arms, or legs to receive a skin graft.This includes incising the site, including subcutaneous tissue, and preparing a healthy tissue bed for the graft. Hemostasis is ensured. This is an add-on code and must be used in conjunction with CPT code 15002.
Example 1: A patient sustains a large burn to their leg (initial 100 cm2 prepared with 15002).An additional 150 cm2 requires preparation before grafting, necessitating the use of 15003. , A patient with an extensive scar contracture across the trunk requires multiple surgical preparation procedures. Initially, 100 cm2 are prepared using 15002. An additional 50 cm2 requires preparation for a staged skin graft procedure, resulting in 15003 being reported., A child with a significant burn injury (1% of total body surface area initially prepared with 15002) requires additional preparation (an additional 1.5% of the body surface area) for skin grafting of the affected areas, necessitating the use of 15003.
Detailed documentation must include the size of the recipient site (in sq cm for adults and children 10 years and older, or percentage of body surface area for children under 10), location of the site (trunk, arms, legs), type of wound (open wound, burn eschar, scar contracture), and images of the site before and after the preparation procedure.Documentation must also specify the use of 15002 along with 15003.
** This code is specifically for the preparation of additional recipient sites for skin grafting and does not include the actual skin graft application or other related procedures.
- Revenue Code: P1G (MAJOR PROCEDURE - OTHER)
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: Not applicable.
- Specialties:Plastic Surgery, Burns Surgery
- Place of Service:Office, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Hospital Inpatient, Hospital Outpatient