2025 CPT code 15002
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical preparation of recipient site Integumentary System Feed
Surgical preparation of recipient site for skin graft by excision of open wounds, burn eschar, or scar (including subcutaneous tissues), or incisional release of scar contracture; trunk, arms, legs; first 100 sq cm or 1% of body area.
Modifiers may be applicable depending on circumstances such as multiple procedures (modifier 59) or if the procedure is performed by an assistant surgeon.
The medical necessity is established when a patient requires skin grafting for a condition that necessitates the surgical preparation of the recipient site (e.g., full-thickness burns, extensive traumatic wounds, contractures). The extent of the preparation should be medically necessary to achieve a healthy recipient bed suitable for grafting.
The surgeon's responsibilities include prepping the patient, marking the area for excision, performing the excision and debridement of the area as needed to achieve a healthy tissue bed, achieving hemostasis, and ensuring the site is prepared for a skin graft.
In simple words: The doctor prepares the area of skin needing a skin graft. This might involve cutting away damaged skin, burn tissue, or scar tissue to create a healthy base for the new skin. This is done on the trunk, arms, or legs and covers a small initial area of skin.
This CPT code encompasses the surgical preparation or creation of a recipient site for skin grafting.This involves the excision of open wounds, burn eschar, or scar tissue, including the subcutaneous tissues.Incisional release of scar contractures may also be included. The procedure applies to the trunk, arms, and legs. The code covers the first 100 square centimeters (sq cm) or 1% of body surface area for infants and children under 10 years old.For larger areas, additional codes (e.g., 15003) are used.
Example 1: A patient presents with a large, full-thickness burn to the anterior thigh requiring skin grafting. The surgeon uses code 15002 to bill for the preparation of the recipient site, which involves excision of the necrotic tissue and preparation of the wound bed., A patient presents with a chronic, hypertrophic scar contracture on the arm, limiting range of motion.The surgeon uses code 15002 for preparation of the recipient site before a skin graft. This preparation includes incisional release of the contracture, excision of excess scar tissue, and wound bed preparation., A patient requires a skin graft following a traumatic laceration on the lower leg.After wound cleansing, the surgeon removes devitalized tissue and prepares the recipient site. Code 15002 is used to represent this surgical preparation of the area for the skin graft.
Detailed operative report documenting the extent of the excision, the area prepped (in sq cm or percentage of body surface area for children under 10), the tissues involved (e.g., subcutaneous tissues, dermis, epidermis), and any additional procedures performed. Pre-operative and post-operative photos can also be helpful in documentation.
** This code should not be reported if the procedure is solely debridement or wound cleansing.Additional codes are necessary for extensive debridement.
- Revenue Code: P1G (MAJOR PROCEDURE - OTHER)
- RVU: This information is not available in the provided source.Refer to the current CMS relative value units (RVUs) for CPT code 15002.
- Global Days: Not applicable; this is not a surgical procedure with a global period.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: Technical component modifier (TC) is not applicable to this code.
- Fee Schedule: This information is not provided. Refer to historical fee schedules for CPT 15002.
- Specialties:Plastic Surgery, Burn Surgery, General Surgery
- Place of Service:Office, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Hospital (Inpatient and Outpatient)