2025 CPT code 15241
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Skin Grafts Integumentary System Feed
Additional 20 sq cm of full-thickness skin graft; add-on code to 15240.
Modifiers may be applicable in certain circumstances, such as modifier 59 for distinct procedural services or additional modifiers to specify the anatomical location of the graft(s) or other circumstances that justify additional reimbursement. Refer to your payer's guidelines.
The medical necessity for full-thickness skin grafts is determined by the presence of a significant defect of skin that needs repair due to trauma, burns, or disease processes.Documentation must support that the procedure was medically necessary and the appropriate level of care was provided.
The surgeon is responsible for excising the skin graft from the donor site, preparing the recipient site, applying the graft, and closing both sites.Postoperative care and follow-up are also part of the clinical responsibility.Anesthesiology services may be separately reported if provided.
In simple words: This code is for extra skin used in a full-thickness skin graft surgery, for areas like the face, hands, and feet.It's only used along with another code (15240) that describes the main skin graft surgery.
This CPT code reports each additional 20 square centimeters (or part thereof) of full-thickness skin graft to areas such as the forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, axillae, genitalia, hands, and/or feet.It is an add-on code and must be used in conjunction with CPT code 15240, which represents the primary procedure of a full-thickness skin graft in the specified areas. The full-thickness graft includes the epidermis and the entire dermis.The procedure involves removing skin from a donor site and transferring it to the recipient site, followed by closure of both sites.
Example 1: A patient sustains a full-thickness burn injury to their right hand involving 40 square centimeters. CPT code 15240 is used to report the primary full-thickness skin graft, and CPT code 15241 is used to report the additional 20 square centimeters of graft material., A patient requires a full-thickness skin graft to repair a significant facial wound (60 cm2) resulting from a dog bite.15240 is billed for the initial 40 cm2, 15241 is added for the additional 20 cm2., A patient undergoes a full-thickness skin graft for a significant burn on the lower leg; the initial graft is 30 square centimeters, and an additional 20 square centimeters are required.Again, 15240 represents the initial procedure, and 15241 is added on for the extra 20 cm2.
* Thoroughly documented preoperative assessment and photographic documentation of the wound(s).* Detailed operative note specifying the donor and recipient sites, graft dimensions (size and area), and type of closure.* Postoperative photographs of the donor and recipient sites.* Pathology reports if any tissue was excised for biopsy.* Complete anesthesia records if applicable.* Information about the patient's history relevant to wound healing (e.g., diabetes, smoking).
** This code is strictly an add-on code and should never be reported alone.Always use in conjunction with 15240.Consult payer guidelines for specific coding and reimbursement policies.
- Revenue Code: P5A (Ambulatory Procedures - Skin)
- RVU: Information not available in provided sources. Consult current fee schedules and Medicare conversion factors for RVU values.
- Global Days: Not applicable.This is an add-on code to a primary procedure.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: No TC modifier applicable.
- Fee Schedule: Information not available in provided sources. Consult historical fee schedules and relative value units (RVUs) from previous years. RVUs and reimbursement amounts can vary widely depending on location and payer.
- Specialties:Plastic Surgery, Burns Surgery, Dermatology
- Place of Service:Office, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center