September 6, 2018

Question:
Please help settle this.  A 0.8 cm benign lesion was excised from a patient’s wrist.  I say that it should be coded under 11421 for benign excision of lesion on the hand.  My colleague says it should be coded under 11401 for benign excision of lesion on the arm.  Who is right?

Answer:
Sorry, but your colleague wins.  While in the lesion excision section, it does not define where the wrist belongs, if you look in the Skin Replacement Surgery section guidelines, it states that “procedures involving the wrist and/or ankle are reported with codes that include arm or leg in the descriptor.”

*This response is based on the best information available as of 09/06/18.