2025 CPT code 15201
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Integumentary System Feed
Full-thickness skin graft, free, including direct closure of donor site, trunk; each additional 20 sq cm, or part thereof (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure).
Medical necessity must be established by documenting the underlying condition requiring the skin graft, such as burns, trauma, or excision of lesions. The documentation must support that the skin graft is the appropriate treatment for the condition.
The physician performs the full-thickness skin graft, prepares the recipient site, harvests the graft from the donor site, transfers the graft to the recipient site, and closes both the donor and recipient sites.
In simple words: This procedure involves taking a full-thickness piece of skin from one area (donor site) and transplanting it to another location on the trunk (recipient site). This code is used for each additional 20 square centimeters of skin grafted, and it's always reported along with the main procedure code.
This code describes a procedure involving a full-thickness free skin graft on the trunk, including the closure of the donor site.It is used for each additional 20 sq cm or part thereof and is reported in addition to the primary procedure code (15200).
Example 1: A patient with a 30 sq cm burn wound on their back undergoes a full-thickness skin graft. 15200 is reported for the first 20 sq cm and 15201 is reported for the additional 10 sq cm., A patient has a 45 sq cm area of skin removed from their trunk due to a skin cancer lesion. A full-thickness skin graft is performed to close the defect. 15200 is reported, along with two units of 15201., A patient has a traumatic injury resulting in a 60 sq cm wound on their trunk. The wound requires a full-thickness skin graft for closure. 15200 is reported with three units of 15201 for the total area grafted.
Documentation should include the size and location of the recipient site, the location of the donor site, the method of wound closure for both sites, and any complications encountered. It is crucial to clearly document the size of the graft in square centimeters to support the use of add-on code 15201.
- Specialties:Plastic Surgery, General Surgery, Dermatology
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center