Summary & Overview
CPT 15772: Autologous Fat Grafting, Additional 50 cc
Headline: CPT code 15772 Clarifies Billing for Incremental Autologous Fat Injection
Lead: CPT code 15772 captures incremental units of autologous fat grafting — each additional 50 cc or part thereof — when fat is harvested by liposuction and injected into another site on the trunk, breasts, scalp, arms, or legs. The code standardizes reporting of volume-based augmentation during fat transfer procedures and affects coding, billing, and coverage determinations across major payers.
CPT code 15772 represents incremental volume reporting for autologous fat transfer procedures and matters nationally because it directly influences per-unit billing, allowed amounts, and clinical documentation for reconstructive and cosmetic fat grafting. Common settings include outpatient surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments performing body contouring or defect repair.
Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find benchmarks for utilization and allowed unit handling, summary guidance on payer policy themes, and clinical context for when incremental volume reporting applies. The content outlines typical coverage considerations, common service locations, and implications for encounter-level documentation. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 15772 describes the harvesting of autologous fat by liposuction from one anatomic site and injection of that fat into another anatomic site on the trunk, breasts, scalp, arms, and/or legs to fill defects or reshape contours. This code represents each additional 50 cc, or part thereof, of autologous fat used for injection beyond the primary reported unit.
Service type: Autologous fat grafting / fat transfer (liposuction harvest and injection)
Typical site of service: Outpatient surgical settings, ambulatory surgery centers, and hospital outpatient departments where minor to moderate surgical procedures for contouring or defect repair are performed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 42-year-old female presents for autologous fat grafting to correct contour deformities of the breasts and to improve soft-tissue volume of the abdomen following prior breast-conserving surgery and liposuction. Preoperative evaluation includes medical history, medication review, informed consent specific to fat harvest and injection, photographic documentation, and marking of donor (flanks/abdomen) and recipient sites (breast quadrants). On the day of service the patient undergoes tumescent infiltration of the donor area, suction-assisted liposuction to harvest adipose tissue, processing/centrifugation of lipoaspirate, and serial injection of purified fat into the breast defects. Hemostasis is confirmed, dressings are applied to donor and recipient sites, and postoperative instructions are provided with follow-up scheduled to assess graft take.
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient department.
Service type: Surgical procedure — autologous fat grafting with incremental billing for additional volumes using 15772 per each additional 50 cc or part thereof of fat injected into trunk, breasts, scalp, arms, and/or legs.
Typical patient scenario: Patients seeking reconstruction after oncologic breast surgery, revision of contour deformities after prior liposuction or trauma, or aesthetic contour augmentation where adipose tissue is harvested and reinjected to restore volume and contours. Procedures frequently occur with local plus sedation or general anesthesia depending on extent.
Coding Specifications
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