Panniculectomy

General Documentation Requirements for Panniculectomy, Excision of Excess Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue (Including Lipectomy) and related services:

  • Stable weight loss with BMI less than 35 be obtained prior to authorization of coverage for panniculectomy surgery (when applicable);
  • Description of the pannus and the underlying skin;
  • Description of conservative treatment undertaken and its results;
  • The medical records document(s) that the panniculus causes chronic intertrigo or candidiasis or tissue necrosis that consistently recurs over three months and is unresponsive to oral or topical medication (when applicable);
  • Pre-op photograph (if requested);
  • Copies of consultations (when applicable);
  • Related operative report (when applicable);
  • Any other pertinent information.

Coverage Criteria

Codes

Code Description
15830 Excision, excessive skin and subcutaneous tissue (includes lipectomy); abdomen, infraumbilical panniculectomy
15847 Excision, excessive skin and subcutaneous tissue (includes lipectomy), abdomen (e.g., abdominoplasty) (includes umbilical transposition and fascial plication)
15877 Suction assisted lipectomy; trunk

 

Resources

 

Last Updated Fri, 13 May 2022 13:23:45 +0000