CPT 14000 Adjacent Tissue Transfer Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 14000: Adjacent Tissue Transfer, Trunk (≤10 cm²)

CPT code 14000 denotes an adjacent tissue transfer or rearrangement (ATT) of the trunk for defects measuring 10 cm² or less. This reconstructive procedure is used to mobilize and transpose local skin flaps to close or repair small defects on the trunk following trauma, wound dehiscence, scar revision, or lesion excision. Nationally, accurate use of this code matters for consistent surgical reporting, appropriate claims adjudication, and workforce planning for reconstructive services.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical indications and coding context, comparisons to adjacent CPT codes for larger defects, common diagnostic pairings, and typical sites of service. The publication outlines inclusion criteria for the 10 cm² size threshold, highlights related procedure codes for larger defects or recipient-site preparation, and summarizes common billing modifiers used with reconstructive flap procedures.

This summary equips coding leads, surgical groups, and billing teams with a concise reference to the code’s clinical application, common co-diagnoses, and where it sits relative to related reconstructive CPT codes. Data not available in the input: detailed payer-specific reimbursement rates and utilization benchmarks.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnited HealthcareMedicareCPT 14000adjacent tissue transferreconstructive surgerytrunk reconstructionskin flapsurgical codingprocedure codingplastic surgerywound closure

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 14000 describes an adjacent tissue transfer or rearrangement (ATT) of the trunk. This procedure involves transferring a portion of skin from an area adjacent to a defect on the trunk to reconstruct or close that defect. The code specifically applies when the ATT is 10 cm² or less in size.

Service type: Reconstructive soft-tissue surgery (adjacent tissue transfer)

Typical site of service: Operating room or procedure suite for trunk reconstructive procedures

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 45-year-old patient presents to an outpatient surgical clinic with a hypertrophic scar measuring 8 cm2 on the lateral trunk following prior tumor excision. The scar causes pain and restricted skin mobility. After evaluation, the surgical oncology team determines that an adjacent tissue transfer (ATT) is appropriate to replace the scarred skin with adjacent healthy skin and to improve contour and function. The patient is scheduled for a same-day operative procedure in an ambulatory surgery center. Preoperative workflow includes history and physical, consent, photography and sizing of the defect, marking of flap/adjacent tissue to be transposed, and assessment for anesthesia (local with monitored anesthesia care or general anesthesia as indicated). Intraoperative steps for an ATT coded as 14000 include preparation of the recipient site, elevation of the adjacent skin flap, mobilization and transfer of tissue to cover a defect 10 cm2 or less on the trunk, meticulous closure, and hemostasis. Postoperative workflow includes routine recovery room monitoring, wound care instructions, analgesia management, scheduling of follow-up visits for suture removal and wound assessment, and documentation of flap viability and any intraoperative complications. Typical documentation supporting use of 14000 includes precise measurement of the defect (≤10 cm2), description of flap design and adjacent tissue transfer technique, anesthesia type, operative time, and relevant diagnosis such as L91.0 (hypertrophic scar) or L90.5 (scar conditions and fibrosis of skin).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description

CPT 19316: Mastopexy with Implant (Breast Lift and Augmentation)

CPT-14002-SOFT-TISSUE-REPAIR-OUTPATIENT-SURGERY

CPT 14002: Soft-Tissue Repair, Outpatient Surgical Procedure

11602-EXCISION-MALIGNANT-LESION-INCLUDING-MARGINS-TRUNK-ARMS-OR

CPT 11602: Excision of Malignant Skin Lesion, Trunk/Arms/Legs 1.1–2.0 cm

15734-MUSCLE-MYOCUTANEOUS-OR-FASCIOCUTANEOUS-FLAP

CPT 15734: Muscle or Myocutaneous Flap Surgery for Trunk Reconstruction

CPT-19303-SIMPLE-MASTECTOMY-BREAST-REMOVAL

CPT 19303: Simple Mastectomy, Removal of Breast and Nipple–Areolar Complex

12001-SIMPLE-REPAIR-OF-SUPERFICIAL-WOUNDS-OF-SCALP-NECK-AXILLAE

CPT 12001: Simple Repair of Superficial Wounds, ≤2.5 cm

19304-MASTECTOMY

CPT 19304: Subcutaneous Mastectomy Surgery

CPT-11752-NAIL-MATRIX-EXCISION-DISTAL-PHALANX-AMPUTATION

CPT 11752: Nail and Nail Matrix Excision with Distal Phalanx Tuft Amputation

CPT-15750-ISLAND-PEDICLE-FLAP-RECONSTRUCTIVE-SURGERY

CPT 15750: Island Pedicle Flap for Soft-Tissue Reconstruction

11604-EXCISION-MALIGNANT-LESION-INCLUDING-MARGINS-TRUNK-ARMS-OR

CPT 11604: Excision of Malignant Skin Lesion, Trunk/Arms/Legs, 3.1-4.0 cm

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`208800000X`	Surgical Oncology	Primary specialty listed; may perform ATT when reconstruction is required after oncologic resection or scar revision.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`L90.5`	Scar conditions and fibrosis of skin	Indicates scar-related pathology that may require excision and reconstruction with an ATT for symptomatic or functional improvement.
`L91.0`	Hypertrophic scar	Common indication for ATT when hypertrophic scarring on the trunk causes dysfunction, pain, or cosmetic concern necessitating tissue rearrangement.
`T81.31XA`	Disruption of external operation (surgical) wound, not elsewhere classified, initial encounter	May prompt ATT if wound disruption on the trunk requires adjacent tissue transfer for definitive closure.
`S01.81XA`	Laceration without foreign body of other part of head, initial encounter	Although this code references the head, ATT procedures are described for trunk; included in input—relevance requires documentation tying the repair technique to adjacent tissue transfer when applicable.
`S91.301A`	Unspecified open wound, right foot, initial encounter	Included in input; clinical relevance requires documentation if ATT technique is used for trunk reconstruction—otherwise not directly related to trunk ATT.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`14001`	Adjacent tissue transfer or rearrangement, trunk; defect 10.1 sq cm to 30.0 sq cm	Larger adjacent tissue transfer for trunk defects exceeding the `14000` size limit; select when defect measures between 10.1 and 30.0 cm2.
`15002`	Surgical preparation or creation of recipient site by excision of open wounds, burn eschar, or scar (including subcutaneous tissues), or incisional release of scar contracture, trunk, arms, legs	May be performed immediately prior to ATT to excise scar tissue or prepare the recipient site; often part of the same operative episode and documented separately when applicable.

`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the ATT requires substantially greater effort, time, or complexity than typical and documentation supports work beyond the usual service.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when the procedure requires general anesthesia due to technical difficulty or patient factors despite normally being performed with local anesthesia.
`26`	Professional component	Use when separating the physician's professional component from the technical component; rarely applied for ATT unless reporting separately billed professional interpretation services.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when ATT is performed on both sides of the trunk during the same operative session and payer accepts bilateral reporting.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when `14000` is one of multiple distinct procedures performed during the same operative session.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the ATT is intentionally less than described by the full code and documentation supports reduced service.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the ATT is started but terminated due to extenuating circumstances; documentation must explain why incomplete.
`58`	Staged or related procedure (planned)	Use when ATT is planned as part of a staged reconstructive plan performed later than the index procedure.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when another procedure performed at the same session is distinct and separate from the ATT; must meet documentation criteria to link separation.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the ATT when payer allows reporting of co-surgeons.
`76`* Not listed in provided modifiers — Data not available in the input.	Data not available in the input.	Data not available in the input.

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