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Official Description

Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection; external genitalia, perineum and abdominal wall, with or without fascial closure

© Copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Common Language Description

Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is a critical surgical procedure aimed at removing infected and necrotic tissue from affected areas. Specifically, CPT® Code 11006 pertains to the debridement of the external genitalia, perineum, and abdominal wall. NSTI is a severe and rapidly progressing infection that can lead to significant tissue damage and systemic complications if not addressed promptly. The procedure involves making incisions in the skin to access the infected area, allowing for thorough exploration to assess the extent of tissue involvement. During the debridement process, all necrotic tissue is meticulously removed, extending beyond the skin to include subcutaneous tissues, fascia, and muscle, ensuring that only viable tissue remains. This aggressive approach is essential to prevent the spread of infection and promote healing. Additionally, cultures are collected during the procedure to identify the infectious organisms responsible for the NSTI and to guide appropriate antibiotic therapy. It is important to note that this procedure is distinct from other debridement codes, such as CPT® Code 11005, which is used for similar debridement of the abdominal wall. The careful execution of this procedure is vital for patient recovery and the prevention of further complications associated with necrotizing infections.

© Copyright 2025 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.

1. Indications

Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is indicated in the following scenarios:

  • Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection (NSTI) This procedure is performed when there is a diagnosis of NSTI affecting the external genitalia, perineum, or abdominal wall, which requires urgent intervention to remove necrotic tissue and prevent further tissue damage.
  • Fournier's Gangrene Specifically, NSTI of the perineum, commonly known as Fournier's gangrene, necessitates debridement to address the severe infection and associated tissue necrosis.

2. Procedure

The procedure for debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection involves several critical steps:

  • Step 1: Incision The procedure begins with making an incision in the skin over the affected area to access the necrotic tissue. This incision is strategically placed to allow for optimal exposure of the infected region.
  • Step 2: Exploration Once the incision is made, the surgeon explores the area to determine the extent of the necrotizing infection. This exploration is crucial for identifying all areas of tissue involvement, ensuring that no infected tissue is left behind.
  • Step 3: Debridement The next step involves the aggressive debridement of all apparent necrotic tissue. The surgeon removes tissue not only from the skin but also from the subcutaneous layers, fascia, and muscle, continuing until viable tissue is identified and arterial bleeding is noted. This thorough removal is essential to halt the progression of the infection.
  • Step 4: Preservation of Viable Tissue Throughout the debridement process, care is taken to preserve as much viable skin and subcutaneous tissue as possible. This preservation is important for facilitating healing and minimizing the need for reconstructive procedures later.
  • Step 5: Culturing During the procedure, cultures are taken from the debrided tissue and sent to the laboratory for identification of infectious organisms. This step is vital for determining the appropriate antibiotic therapy to combat the infection effectively.

3. Post-Procedure

After the debridement procedure, patients typically require close monitoring for signs of infection and complications. Post-operative care may include wound management to promote healing and prevent further infection. Patients may also need to be placed on appropriate antibiotic therapy based on the results of the cultures obtained during the procedure. Follow-up appointments are essential to assess the healing process and to determine if additional surgical interventions are necessary. The recovery period can vary depending on the extent of the infection and the amount of tissue debrided, and patients should be educated on signs of complications that may require immediate medical attention.

Short Descr DBRDMT SKIN XTRNL GENT PER
Medium Descr DBRDMT SKN SUBQ T/M/F NECRO INFCTJ GENT PER&ABDL
Long Descr Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection; external genitalia, perineum and abdominal wall, with or without fascial closure
Status Code Active Code
Global Days 000 - Endoscopic or Minor Procedure
PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) 0 - Physician Service Code
Multiple Procedures (51) 2 - Standard payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply.
Bilateral Surgery (50) 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply.
Physician Supervisions 09 - Concept does not apply.
Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) 1 - Statutory payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure...
Co-Surgeons (62) 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure.
Team Surgery (66) 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure.
Diagnostic Imaging Family 99 - Concept Does Not Apply
APC Status Indicator Inpatient Procedures, not paid under OPPS
Type of Service (TOS) 2 - Surgery
Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) P6A - Minor procedures - skin
MUE 1
CCS Clinical Classification 169 - Debridement of wound, infection or burn

This is a primary code that can be used with these additional add-on codes.

11008 Addon Code MPFS Status: Active Code APC C Illustration for Code Removal of prosthetic material or mesh, abdominal wall for infection (eg, for chronic or recurrent mesh infection or necrotizing soft tissue infection) (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)
59 Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25.
22 Increased procedural services: when the work required to provide a service is substantially greater than typically required, it may be identified by adding modifier 22 to the usual procedure code. documentation must support the substantial additional work and the reason for the additional work (ie, increased intensity, time, technical difficulty of procedure, severity of patient's condition, physical and mental effort required). note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service.
51 Multiple procedures: when multiple procedures, other than e/m services, physical medicine and rehabilitation services or provision of supplies (eg, vaccines), are performed at the same session by the same individual, the primary procedure or service may be reported as listed. the additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s). note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d).
52 Reduced services: under certain circumstances a service or procedure is partially reduced or eliminated at the discretion of the physician or other qualified health care professional. under these circumstances the service provided can be identified by its usual procedure number and the addition of modifier 52, signifying that the service is reduced. this provides a means of reporting reduced services without disturbing the identification of the basic service. note: for hospital outpatient reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well-being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers 73 and 74 (see modifiers approved for asc hospital outpatient use).
58 Staged or related procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: it may be necessary to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was: (a) planned or anticipated (staged); (b) more extensive than the original procedure; or (c) for therapy following a surgical procedure. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 58 to the staged or related procedure. note: for treatment of a problem that requires a return to the operating/procedure room (eg, unanticipated clinical condition), see modifier 78.
76 Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service.
78 Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician or other qualified health care professional following initial procedure for a related procedure during the postoperative period: it may be necessary to indicate that another procedure was performed during the postoperative period of the initial procedure (unplanned procedure following initial procedure). when this procedure is related to the first, and requires the use of an operating/procedure room, it may be reported by adding modifier 78 to the related procedure. (for repeat procedures, see modifier 76.)
79 Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: the individual may need to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by using modifier 79. (for repeat procedures on the same day, see modifier 76.)
80 Assistant surgeon: surgical assistant services may be identified by adding modifier 80 to the usual procedure number(s).
AG Primary physician
AQ Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa)
AS Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery
CC Procedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed)
GC This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician
GW Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition
LT Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body)
Q6 Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area
RT Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body)
XS Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure
XU Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service
Date
Action
Notes
2024-01-01 Changed Short and Medium Descriptions changed.
2011-01-01 Changed Guideline information changed.
2005-01-01 Added First appearance in code book in 2005.
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