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SurgiStrategies: “Coding for Removal of Benign and Malignant Skin Lesions”

May 1st, 2009

To select an appropriate code for excision of a benign (11400-11471) or malignant (11600-11646) skin lesion, you must determine the lesion’s diameter at its widest point, and add to that measurement double the width of the narrowest margin. This article reviews tips for proper coding for the removal of benign and malignant skin lesions for an ASC.

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4 Responses to “SurgiStrategies: “Coding for Removal of Benign and Malignant Skin Lesions””

  1. gina Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 8:48 am

    What if the physician states the following excision of benign lesion of arm with appropriate margins measuring 6×12 mm. Since the physician didn’t state the margins seperate can we use this measurement?

  2. JOYCE D EVERETT CPC Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 8:53 am

    Say what??? The only thing I should add to the diameter of the lesion is the appropriate margins depending upon benign (o.4cm), malignant(o.6cm) and malignant melanoma(4.ocm) that my doctor has documented in the medical record. Where are you getting this information about doubling the width of the narrowest margin???

  3. Mary Beth York CCs, CCS-P Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    This information is in the CPT book as well as AMA CPT training manuals

  4. Amy Carroll, CPC CSGC Says:
    June 11th, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    Since you mentioned that the measurement to determine the excision code is not the size of the incision the physician makes, let’s continue that thought to the repair codes. If the physician documents an intermedicate repair (layered closure), the repair code is determined by the size of the incision, the total area that needs to be repaired. Since they are two separate measurements and each code determination is based on size, it would behove the physician to document each separately.

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