Tip: This encounter involves topical applications and patient care instruction in addition to removing devitalized tissue.

Question: When the surgeon performs a wound VAC or cleans a wound by scraping with a sharp curette (not excising tissue), is it appropriate to use a debridement code or should we report an active wound care management code from the range 97597-97606?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Physicians typically use the debridement codes (11000-11001, Debridement of extensive eczematous or infected skin; … or 11004-11005, Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection; …) for debridement by any method.

Without...