2025 CPT code 15156
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Skin Grafts Integumentary System Feed
Additional tissue-cultured epidermal autograft for areas such as the face, scalp, or genitalia; each additional 1 cm² to 75 cm² after the initial 25 cm².
Modifiers may be used as appropriate to describe specific circumstances, such as multiple procedures or reduced services.Consult the CPT manual for details on appropriate modifier usage.
Medical necessity is established by the presence of a full-thickness burn or significant wound requiring skin replacement for healing or functional restoration.The size of the wound or burn should justify the use of tissue-cultured autograft.
The physician is responsible for pre-operative planning, harvesting (if not already done, though this is billed separately), preparing the recipient site, applying the tissue-cultured epidermal autograft, and securing the graft to the wound bed.Post-operative care is not included in this code.
In simple words: This code is for extra skin grafts after the first one. The doctor uses special skin grown in a lab from the patient's own skin. This extra skin is used to heal burns or wounds on places like the face, head, or private areas. This extra charge is for each extra square centimeter up to a certain size. It's added to a main code for the initial skin graft.
This CPT code, 15156, represents the application of each additional 1 square centimeter (cm²) up to a maximum of 75 cm² of tissue-cultured epidermal autograft.This is an add-on code and should only be reported in conjunction with CPT code 15155 (initial 25 cm² of tissue-cultured epidermal autograft). The autograft is used for covering burns or wounds on areas such as the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, orbits, genitalia, hands, feet, and/or multiple digits. Prior harvesting of the autologous skin for tissue culture is included; the code does not include the harvesting procedure itself (CPT 15040). The graft may be placed after temporary closure with an acellular dermal replacement matrix; if so, the provider will reopen the area for autograft placement.Securement techniques (sutures or staples) are included.This code is only reported once per session.
Example 1: A patient sustains a significant full-thickness burn to the face, requiring initial coverage with 25 cm² of tissue-cultured autograft (CPT 15155). Additional coverage is needed, requiring an additional 50 cm² of tissue-cultured autograft, necessitating 15156 x 3., A patient undergoes excision of a large melanoma on the scalp, leaving a significant defect.After the surgical excision, 25 cm² of cultured autograft (15155) is applied initially, followed by an additional 30 cm² (15156 x 2).The harvest procedure (15040) was performed at an earlier date., A child has suffered extensive burns to their hands and multiple digits after an accident.Following initial coverage with 25 cm² of cultured autograft (15155), further treatment required additional application of 40 cm² (15156 x 2).
Detailed medical records must include: preoperative assessment; extent and depth of burns or wounds; surgical technique employed; dimensions of the area covered by the autograft (in cm²); any acellular dermal replacement matrices utilized; type and size of autograft; and postoperative recovery notes.
** This code is specifically for tissue-cultured epidermal autografts.Other types of skin grafts are coded differently.The harvesting of the skin for the autograft is a separate procedure (CPT 15040).
- Revenue Code: P1G (Major Procedure - Other)
- Payment Status: Active
- Specialties:Plastic Surgery, Burn Surgery
- Place of Service:Office, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center