CPT Code 12015: Simple wound repair of the face, 7.6-12.5 cm
CPT Code 12015 covers simple repair of superficial wounds of the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, and mucous membranes measuring 7.6 cm to 12.5 cm. It sits in the middle of the simple-repair size series, directly above CPT 12014 and below CPT 12016. The two most common reasons claims for this code get denied are […]
CPT Code 00550: Anesthesia for sternal debridement
CPT Code 00550 is the anesthesia code for sternal debridement, the surgical removal of infected, dead, or damaged tissue from the sternum, or breastbone. It is most often needed to treat a deep sternal wound infection or osteomyelitis after cardiac surgery. The code covers the anesthesiologist or CRNA who manages the patient throughout that debridement. […]
CPT Code 00450: Anesthesia for clavicle and scapula procedures
CPT Code 00450 is the anesthesia code for surgical procedures on the clavicle and scapula that don’t have a more specific code assigned. It carries 5 base units and covers a broad range of shoulder-girdle surgeries, from clavicle fracture repair to scapulectomy, delivered as general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, or monitored anesthesia care (MAC). This reference […]
CPT Code 00145: Anesthesia for vitreoretinal eye surgery
CPT Code 00145 is the anesthesia procedure code for vitreoretinal surgery — procedures such as pars plana vitrectomy, retinal detachment repair, and related posterior segment surgery. It comes with a layered billing structure that catches many practices off guard. The interaction between base units, time units, physical status modifiers, and qualifying circumstance codes creates multiple […]
CPT Code 00402: Anesthesia for reconstructive breast procedures
CPT Code 00402 is the anesthesia code for reconstructive procedures on the breast, such as reduction or augmentation mammoplasty and muscle flap reconstruction. It carries a base unit value of 5, sits within the thorax/breast anesthesia code family (00400-00406), and is billed using anesthesia’s time-based payment formula rather than a flat fee. This reference covers […]
CPT Code 00174: Anesthesia for intraoral procedures
CPT Code 00174 is the anesthesia code for intraoral procedures, including biopsy or excision of a retropharyngeal tumor, billed within the CPT Head Anesthesia section (00100-00222). It carries 6 base units and is frequently confused with the adjacent not-otherwise-specified code, CPT 00170. This reference guide covers the official descriptor for CPT Code 00174, its 6 […]
CPT code 01920: Anesthesia for cardiac catheterization
A cardiac catheterization case looks simple on paper: one patient, one code, one anesthesia team. Then the claim bounces back because someone billed 01925 instead of 01920, or assumed a P3 modifier would add extra units. CPT code 01920 covers anesthesia for a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, including coronary angiography and ventriculography. Getting the code right […]
CPT Code 12014: Simple repair of face wounds (5.1-7.5 cm)
CPT Code 12014 covers simple repair of superficial wounds of the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, and/or mucous membranes measuring 5.1 cm to 7.5 cm in total length. Simple repair means single-layer closure of the epidermis, dermis, or subcutaneous tissue, with no layered suturing of deeper structures. This guide covers the 2026 reimbursement rates, applicable […]
CPT Code 11771: Excision of pilonidal cyst, extensive
CPT Code 11771 is one of three codes in the pilonidal cyst excision family, and it is the one most frequently miscoded. The official AMA CPT code set descriptor reads: Excision of pilonidal cyst or sinus; extensive. That single word, “extensive,” is what separates this code from its siblings and what payers scrutinize most closely […]
CPT Code 11960: Tissue expander insertion billing guide
CPT Code 11960 is a billable code for the surgical insertion of tissue expander(s) at any site other than the breast, including every expansion session performed during the 90-day global period. Plastic surgeons, reconstructive surgeons, burn specialists, and oculoplastic surgeons report it most often for scalp, facial, orbital, trunk, and extremity reconstruction. This guide covers […]