CPT 11760: Repair of Nail Bed

Medicare pays $193 and commercial payers pay $312 on average nationally for this procedure.

CPT code 11760 describes surgical repair of a damaged nail bed resulting from laceration, crush, or avulsion; it covers procedures to restore the nail matrix and bed, typically performed as a minor surgical procedure in an outpatient clinic, emergency department, or ambulatory surgery center and involving local or regional anesthesia for wound exploration, debridement, and layered closure of the nail bed to promote proper healing and nail regrowth.

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National Reimbursement Benchmarks

Across national payers, Medicare’s mean rate of $193.4 sits notably below BUCA’s average commercial mean of $312.5 for CPT 11760, indicating a substantial gap between public and average commercial reimbursement levels. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean of $385.2 and Aetna’s mean of $118.4 further illustrate commercial variance: some commercial plans reimburse well above Medicare while others cluster closer or below, with BUCA positioned between the higher and lower commercial averages. Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75–P25) highlights which payers show tighter versus wider spread. Blue Cross Blue Shield has the widest IQR at $260.40 (P75 $500.40 minus P25 $254.00), followed by BUCA at $206.30 and UnitedHealth Group at $155.00; Aetna (IQR $118.00) and Cigna (IQR $151.70) are comparatively tighter, and Medicare’s IQR is narrowest at $21.00, indicating the most consistent rates among these payers.

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CPT 11760: Repair of Nail Bed

Medicare pays $193 and commercial payers pay $312 on average nationally for this procedure.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 11760 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 11760 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

National Payer Mean Reimbursement Rates

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A patient presents to the emergency department or an outpatient dermatology/hand clinic after acute trauma to a fingertip — for example, a crushing injury from a door or a laceration from a kitchen accident. The injury involves the nail bed with partial avulsion, laceration, or contusion causing bleeding, pain, and potential deformity of the nail unit. Initial evaluation includes focused history (mechanism, tetanus status, comorbidities), neurovascular and tendon assessment, and inspection for foreign bodies. Digital anesthesia (e.g., ring block) is performed, and the nail plate may be partially or fully removed to expose the nail bed. The clinician irrigates the wound, debrides devitalized tissue, and performs layered closure of the nail bed with fine absorbable sutures. The nail plate is often replaced or a sterile splint is applied to protect the repair. Wound care instructions and follow-up are arranged within 7–14 days for wound check and suture removal if nonabsorbable material was used. Typical sites of service are the Emergency Department, Ambulatory Surgical Center, or Office-based procedure room. Common billing circumstances include initial trauma repair under 11760 for simple primary repair of the nail bed; more complex reconstructions use 11762.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`11762`	Reconstruction of nail bed (e.g., advancing or rotating nail bed flap)	Used when nail bed loss or complex defect requires flap advancement or rotation beyond primary repair performed with `11760`.

Related Modifiers

8 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
22	Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…	- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
23	Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…	- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
59	Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…	- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
62	Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…	- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
66	Modifier 66 (Surgical Team) is used when three or more surgeons act as primary surgeons on a single, highly complex procedure. The AMA defines it for use when a surgical team — often composed of…	- Use modifier 66 when three or more surgeons act as primary surgeons working collaboratively as a surgical team on a single, highly complex or difficult procedure (for example organ…
79	Modifier 79 indicates a surgical procedure performed during the postoperative global period of a prior surgery that is unrelated to the original procedure. Per AMA/CPT and CMS guidance, it is…	- Use modifier 79 when the same physician (or same‑specialty physician in the same group) performs a surgical procedure during the postoperative global period of a prior surgery and the new procedure…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207ND0101X	MOHS-Micrographic Surgery Physician	The highly-trained surgeons that perform Mohs Micrographic Surgery are specialists both in dermatology and pathology. With their extensive knowledge o…
207P00000X	Emergency Medicine Physician	An emergency physician focuses on the immediate decision making and action necessary to prevent death or any further disability both in the pre-hospit…
207XS0117X	Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine Physician	Recognized by several state medical boards as a fellowship subspecialty program of orthopaedic surgery, orthopaedic surgeons of the spine deal with th…
363AM0700X	Medical Physician Assistant	Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Physician Assistant
2084S0010X	Sports Medicine (Psychiatry & Neurology) Physician	A psychiatrist or neurologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sports related conditions and injuries.
207LP4000X	Physician Nutrition Specialist (Anesthesiology)	A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of primary nutritional diseases (e.g., undernutrition, overnutrition, and genetic or acquir…
3336M0003X	Managed Care Organization Pharmacy	A pharmacy owned by a managed care organization (MCO) used by pharmacists for the compounding and dispensing of medicinal preparations to that MCO's c…
207RP1002X	Physician Nutrition Specialist (Internal Medicine)	A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of primary nutritional diseases (e.g., undernutrition, overnutrition, and genetic or acquir…

CPT 11719: Trimming of Normally Developed Fingernails or Toenails

CPT-11720-SURGICAL-NAIL-DEBRIDEMENT-1-TO-5-NAILS

CPT 11720: Surgical Debridement of 1 to 5 Nails

CPT-11721-SURGICAL-DEBRIDEMENT-SIX-OR-MORE-NAILS

CPT 11721: Surgical Debridement of Six or More Nails

CPT-11730-SINGLE-NAIL-PLATE-AVULSION

CPT 11730: Simple Avulsion of Single Nail Plate

CPT-11732-NAIL-PLATE-AVULSION-ADDITIONAL-NAIL

CPT 11732: Additional Nail Plate Removal by Simple Avulsion

CPT-11740-NAIL-HEMATOMA-EVACUATION-DRAINAGE

CPT 11740: Evacuation of Nail Hematoma

CPT-11750-NAIL-EXCISION-PLATE-AND-MATRIX

CPT 11750: Excision of Nail Plate and Matrix

CPT-11755-NAIL-UNIT-BIOPSY

CPT 11755: Biopsy of Nail Plate, Bed, or Folds

CPT-11762-NAIL-BED-REPAIR-WITH-GRAFT

CPT 11762: Nail Bed Repair with Graft

CPT-11765-WEDGE-EXCISION-NAIL-FOLD-INGROWN-TOENAIL

CPT 11765: Wedge Excision of Nail Fold at Lateral Margin

Frequently Asked Questions

References

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.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.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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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`11762`	Reconstruction of nail bed (e.g., advancing or rotating nail bed flap)	Used when nail bed loss or complex defect requires flap advancement or rotation beyond primary repair performed with `11760`.

Related Modifiers

8 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
22	Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…	- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
23	Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…	- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
59	Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…	- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
62	Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…	- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
66	Modifier 66 (Surgical Team) is used when three or more surgeons act as primary surgeons on a single, highly complex procedure. The AMA defines it for use when a surgical team — often composed of…	- Use modifier 66 when three or more surgeons act as primary surgeons working collaboratively as a surgical team on a single, highly complex or difficult procedure (for example organ…
79	Modifier 79 indicates a surgical procedure performed during the postoperative global period of a prior surgery that is unrelated to the original procedure. Per AMA/CPT and CMS guidance, it is…	- Use modifier 79 when the same physician (or same‑specialty physician in the same group) performs a surgical procedure during the postoperative global period of a prior surgery and the new procedure…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207ND0101X	MOHS-Micrographic Surgery Physician	The highly-trained surgeons that perform Mohs Micrographic Surgery are specialists both in dermatology and pathology. With their extensive knowledge o…
207P00000X	Emergency Medicine Physician	An emergency physician focuses on the immediate decision making and action necessary to prevent death or any further disability both in the pre-hospit…
207XS0117X	Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine Physician	Recognized by several state medical boards as a fellowship subspecialty program of orthopaedic surgery, orthopaedic surgeons of the spine deal with th…
363AM0700X	Medical Physician Assistant	Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Physician Assistant
2084S0010X	Sports Medicine (Psychiatry & Neurology) Physician	A psychiatrist or neurologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sports related conditions and injuries.
207LP4000X	Physician Nutrition Specialist (Anesthesiology)	A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of primary nutritional diseases (e.g., undernutrition, overnutrition, and genetic or acquir…
3336M0003X	Managed Care Organization Pharmacy	A pharmacy owned by a managed care organization (MCO) used by pharmacists for the compounding and dispensing of medicinal preparations to that MCO's c…
207RP1002X	Physician Nutrition Specialist (Internal Medicine)	A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of primary nutritional diseases (e.g., undernutrition, overnutrition, and genetic or acquir…

CPT 11719: Trimming of Normally Developed Fingernails or Toenails

CPT-11720-SURGICAL-NAIL-DEBRIDEMENT-1-TO-5-NAILS

CPT 11720: Surgical Debridement of 1 to 5 Nails

CPT-11721-SURGICAL-DEBRIDEMENT-SIX-OR-MORE-NAILS

CPT 11721: Surgical Debridement of Six or More Nails

CPT-11730-SINGLE-NAIL-PLATE-AVULSION

CPT 11730: Simple Avulsion of Single Nail Plate

CPT-11732-NAIL-PLATE-AVULSION-ADDITIONAL-NAIL

CPT 11732: Additional Nail Plate Removal by Simple Avulsion

CPT-11740-NAIL-HEMATOMA-EVACUATION-DRAINAGE

CPT 11740: Evacuation of Nail Hematoma

CPT-11750-NAIL-EXCISION-PLATE-AND-MATRIX

CPT 11750: Excision of Nail Plate and Matrix

CPT-11755-NAIL-UNIT-BIOPSY

CPT 11755: Biopsy of Nail Plate, Bed, or Folds

CPT-11762-NAIL-BED-REPAIR-WITH-GRAFT

CPT 11762: Nail Bed Repair with Graft

CPT-11765-WEDGE-EXCISION-NAIL-FOLD-INGROWN-TOENAIL

CPT 11765: Wedge Excision of Nail Fold at Lateral Margin

Frequently Asked Questions

References

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.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.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.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

OpenPayer

CPT 11760: Repair of Nail Bed

Sign up for cpt 11760 policy alerts

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

OpenPayer

CPT 11760: Repair of Nail Bed

Sign up for cpt 11760 policy alerts

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

References

CPT 11760: Repair of Nail Bed

Sign up for cpt 11760 policy alerts

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

CPT 11760: Repair of Nail Bed

Sign up for cpt 11760 policy alerts

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

What clinical scenarios indicate use of CPT 11760?

What procedures are typically performed during a 11760 service?

When would CPT 11762 be used instead of 11760?

What diagnoses commonly map to billing with CPT 11760?

Where are the usual sites of service and follow-up expectations noted for this procedure?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

What clinical scenarios indicate use of CPT 11760?

What procedures are typically performed during a 11760 service?

When would CPT 11762 be used instead of 11760?

What diagnoses commonly map to billing with CPT 11760?

Where are the usual sites of service and follow-up expectations noted for this procedure?

References