CPT® Code 14040

Adjacent tissue transfer or rearrangement, forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, axillae, genitalia, hands and/or feet; defect 10 sq cm or less

An adjacent tissue transfer or rearrangement is a surgical procedure aimed at addressing defects located on various parts of the body, including the forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, axillae, genitalia, hands, and/or feet. These defects may arise from traumatic injuries, such as wounds or lacerations, or may be the result of surgical interventions that create defects through the excision of lesions or scars. The procedure involves the careful evaluation of the primary defect to determine the most suitable method of tissue transfer or rearrangement. Techniques employed in this procedure can include Z-plasty, W-plasty, V-Y plasty, rotation flaps, advancement flaps, or double pedicle flaps. During the operation, adjacent skin and subcutaneous tissue are incised and elevated while keeping one or more borders of the tissue attached, which results in the formation of a secondary defect. To facilitate the movement of the skin flaps, the surrounding tissue is undermined. The elevated tissue is then repositioned to effectively cover the primary defect. In some cases, the transfer or rearrangement may also address the secondary defect, or alternatively, the secondary defect may be closed using a separately reportable skin graft. The dimensions of both the primary and secondary defects are measured to ascertain the size of the defect, with specific coding guidelines indicating the use of CPT® Code 14040 for defects measuring 10 square centimeters or less, and CPT® Code 14041 for defects that exceed this size, measuring between 10.1 square centimeters and 30 square centimeters.