CPT 11762: Nail Bed Repair with Graft

CPT code 11762 denotes surgical repair of a damaged nail bed using a graft to restore the nail matrix and bed following laceration, crush, or avulsion injuries. Nationally, this reconstructive procedure matters for trauma, hand surgery, and dermatologic practice patterns where restoring function and preventing deformity are clinical priorities. It also has implications for surgical coding accuracy, appropriate site-of-service designation, and payer coverage determinations.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the procedure, typical sites of service, and the elements that influence billing and authorization. The publication outlines benchmarks and common payer considerations relevant to this code, highlights coding and documentation factors that affect reimbursement, and summarizes policy updates and coverage patterns where available. Where input data is absent, the document notes that information is not provided. This summary is intended for clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts seeking a focused reference on CPT code 11762 and its role in surgical repair of nail bed injuries.

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 11762 describes surgical repair of an injured nail bed using a graft. This procedure addresses nail bed damage caused by laceration, crush, or avulsion and involves reconstructive techniques to restore the nail matrix and bed.

Service type: Nail bed repair with grafting (reconstructive surgical procedure)
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient department; may also be performed in a physician office with appropriate surgical capabilities.

Data not available in the input for payers, associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.

Clinical Context

A middle-aged patient presents to an urgent care or outpatient surgery clinic after sustaining a fingertip injury from a crush mechanism (e.g., caught in a car door) with partial avulsion of the nail and exposed or damaged nail bed. The examining provider documents laceration of the nail bed with partial loss of nail matrix and surrounding soft tissue. After local anesthesia and wound irrigation, the surgeon performs debridement, repairs the nail bed with fine absorbable sutures, and reconstructs the nail unit using a nail bed graft or advancement flap as needed. The procedure is performed in a procedure room, ambulatory surgical center, or emergency department procedural area under sterile conditions. Intraoperative documentation includes indication, extent of nail bed injury, graft type, suture material, estimated blood loss, and post-procedure instructions including tetanus status, wound care, and follow-up for nail monitoring and possible secondary revision.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Normal or default service	Use when the service represents the usual, uncomplicated procedure without notable additional complexity.
`22`	Increased procedural services

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Orthopedic Surgery	Hand and upper extremity surgeons commonly perform complex nail bed grafts and reconstructive procedures.
208000000X	Family Medicine	Family physicians in urgent care settings perform nail bed repairs and simple grafting procedures.
208600000X	Emergency Medicine	Emergency physicians commonly manage acute nail bed injuries and perform repairs in the ED setting.
207L00000X	Plastic Surgery	Plastic surgeons perform nail bed reconstruction when aesthetic or complex soft tissue reconstruction is needed.
208100000X	General Surgery	General surgeons with hand surgery experience may perform nail bed grafts in outpatient surgical settings.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S61.311A`	Laceration without foreign body of right index finger with damage to nail	Direct indication for nail bed repair and possible grafting due to nail bed injury.
`S61.312A`	Laceration without foreign body of left index finger with damage to nail	Same as above for the left finger.
`S61.321A`	Laceration without foreign body of right middle finger with damage to nail	Common mechanism requiring nail bed repair on a different digit.
`S61.322A`	Laceration without foreign body of left middle finger with damage to nail	As above for the left middle finger.
`S61.341A`	Crushing injury of right index finger with damage to nail	Crush injuries frequently cause avulsion or complex nail bed defects requiring grafting.
`S61.342A`	Crushing injury of left index finger with damage to nail	Crush injury on the contralateral digit needing repair.
`S61.391A`	Open wound of other parts of right finger(s) with damage to nail	Captures other open wound patterns of fingers with nail involvement requiring repair.
`S61.392A`	Open wound of other parts of left finger(s) with damage to nail	As above for the left side.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`12002`	Simple repair of superficial wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips; 2.5 cm or less	May be used for associated superficial skin lacerations adjacent to the nail when separate from the nail bed repair.
`12031`	Repair, intermediate, wounds of scalp, axillae, trunk and/or extremities; 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm	May be used when adjacent soft tissue repair of the fingertip requires intermediate layered closure beyond the nail bed suturing.
`13160`	Secondary closure of surgical wound or dehiscence; large wound of trunk or extremity	May be relevant if delayed closure or secondary repair of the fingertip wound is required.
`26010`	Tenolysis; finger, single tendon	May be performed later if tendon adhesions from the injury impair finger motion and require surgical release.
`29515`	Application of short arm splint (forearm to hand)	May be used for postoperative immobilization of the finger/hand after nail bed grafting.
`11900`	Injection, local anesthetic; puncture or minor procedure	Used for local anesthesia administration when billed separately from the procedure if policy allows.

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Summary & Overview