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    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesMultiple Significant TraumaDRG 955-craniotomy-for-multiple-significant-trauma
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    Craniotomy for Multiple Significant Trauma: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview

    DRG 955 encompasses craniotomy procedures performed for multiple significant traumatic injuries involving the head, often accompanied by other severe trauma. This grouping matters for inpatient reimbursement because it identifies high-resource neurosurgical trauma admissions that drive Medicare prospective payment.

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    DRG 955 Overview

    DRG 955 covers inpatient admissions for craniotomy performed in the setting of multiple significant traumatic injuries, typically involving neurosurgical intervention for intracranial hemorrhage, skull fracture, or other major head trauma occurring with concurrent serious injuries. This Diagnosis-Related Group is clinically high-acuity and resource-intensive, reflecting complex operative care, critical care needs, and extended hospital stays. It is important for Medicare payment because it groups these high-cost cases for prospective payment, affecting hospital reimbursement and resource allocation under Medicare rules.

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    Clinical Trials

    • Acute surgical and hemostasis optimization trials: randomized or pragmatic studies testing operative strategies, hemorrhage control techniques, intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring protocols, and timing of decompressive procedures in adults with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) requiring craniotomy for multiple significant trauma. These trials enroll the immediate perioperative population (often polytrauma patients with intracranial mass lesions, contusions, or refractory intracranial hypertension) to compare approaches that may reduce intraoperative blood loss, secondary brain injury, or need for reoperation. Results are directly relevant to surgeons, critical care teams, and payers because optimized acute interventions can shorten ICU stay, reduce complication rates and transfusion needs, and influence overall inpatient resource utilization for this high-cost DRG.
    • Comparative effectiveness studies of postoperative critical care and neurocritical therapies: multicenter cohort studies or pragmatic randomized studies comparing intensive care strategies such as targeted intracranial pressure (ICP) protocols, tiered sedation and ventilation approaches, early versus delayed tracheostomy, and standardized infection-prevention bundles in patients after craniotomy for multiple significant trauma. These studies focus on the heterogeneous postoperative population with concomitant extracranial injuries and examine outcomes like ventilator days, ICU length of stay, incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia or sepsis, and neurologic recovery at hospital discharge. Findings guide hospital-level care pathways and payer analyses by identifying practices that improve survival and functional outcomes while potentially lowering downstream inpatient and post-acute costs.
    • Post-discharge functional outcomes, rehabilitation timing, and long-term resource use studies: prospective observational cohorts and comparative studies assessing the impact of early inpatient rehabilitation referral, timing and intensity of therapy, and discharge disposition on 3- to 12-month functional status, readmissions, and long-term care needs for survivors of craniotomy performed for multiple significant trauma. These studies enroll survivors with varying severity of neurologic deficits and extracranial injuries to clarify which rehabilitation strategies and transitions of care reduce long-term disability and healthcare utilization. Results are important to payers and health systems because improved post-discharge planning and targeted rehabilitation can reduce readmissions, lower long-term institutional care costs, and better align inpatient care decisions with downstream resource implications.

    Related Codes

    956-LIMB-REATTACHMENT-HIP-AND-FEMUR-PROCEDURES-FOR-MULTIPLE-SIGNIFICANT-TRAUMA

    Limb Reattachment, Hip and Femur Procedures for Multiple Significant Trauma: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview

    957-OTHER-O-R-PROCEDURES-FOR-MULTIPLE-SIGNIFICANT-TRAUMA-WITH-MCC

    Other O.R. Procedures for Multiple Significant Trauma with MCC: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview

    958-OTHER-O-R-PROCEDURES-FOR-MULTIPLE-SIGNIFICANT-TRAUMA-WITH-CC

    Other O.R. Procedures for Multiple Significant Trauma with CC: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview

    959-OTHER-O-R-PROCEDURES-FOR-MULTIPLE-SIGNIFICANT-TRAUMA-WITHOUT-CC-MCC

    Other O.R. Procedures for Multiple Significant Trauma without CC/MCC: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview

    963-OTHER-MULTIPLE-SIGNIFICANT-TRAUMA-WITH-MCC

    Other Multiple Significant Trauma with MCC: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview

    964-OTHER-MULTIPLE-SIGNIFICANT-TRAUMA-WITH-CC

    Other Multiple Significant Trauma with CC: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview

    965-OTHER-MULTIPLE-SIGNIFICANT-TRAUMA-WITHOUT-CC-MCC

    Other Multiple Significant Trauma without CC/MCC: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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