Normal or routine cleansing of a wound is considered an integral part of wound or fracture repair and should not be billed separately.
Debridement is only considered for separate payment when gross contamination requires prolonged cleansing, appreciable amounts of devitalized or contaminated tissue are removed, or debridement is performed separately without primary closure or reduction/fixation/treatment of a fracture.
When debridement codes 11004-11012 and 11043-11047 are billed, please enclose an operative report documenting the extensive nature of the services being performed. If a narrative is not attached to a claim that includes a surgical procedure and debridement, the debridement will not be paid separately.
| CPT Code | Description | Documentation Required |
|---|---|---|
| 11004 | Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection; external genitalia and perineum | Operative report |
| 11005 | Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection; abdominal wall, with or without fascial closure | Operative report |
| 11006 | Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and fascia for necrotizing soft tissue infection; external genitalia, perineum and abdominal wall, with or without fascial closure | Operative report |
| 11010 | Debridement including removal of foreign material associated with open fracture(s) and/or dislocation(s); skin and subcutaneous tissues | Operative report |
| 11011 | skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle fascia and muscle | Operative report |
| 11012 | skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle fascia, muscle and bone | Operative report |
| 11043 | Debridement, muscle and/or fascia (includes epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue if performed); first 20 sq cm or less | Operative report |
| 11044 | Debridement, bone (includes epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and/or fascia if performed); first 20 sq cm or less | Operative report |
| 11045 | Debridement, subcutaneous tissue (includes epidermis and dermis if performed); each additional 20 sq cm, or part thereof (list separately in addition to code for primary procedure) | Operative report |
| 11046 | Debridement, muscle and/or fascia (includes epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue if performed); each additional 20 sq cm, or part thereof (list separately in addition to code for primary procedure) | Operative report |
| 11047 | Debridement, bone (includes epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and/or fascia, if performed); each additional 20 sq cm, or part thereof (list separately in addition to code for primary procedure) | Operative report |
Revision History
| Date | Nature of Revision |
|---|---|
| 08/03/2026 | Migrated to new platform. |