Summary & Overview
CPT 15775: Preparation and Transfer of 1–15 Hair Grafts
CPT code 15775 represents a minor surgical hair transplantation procedure in which a provider prepares and transplants 1 to 15 hair grafts from a hair-bearing scalp site into a hairless target area. This code captures a focused micrografting technique commonly used in cosmetic and reconstructive settings for small alopecic defects. Nationally, the code matters for coverage determinations, bundled payment considerations for cosmetic versus reconstructive indications, and consistent reporting of outpatient skin and hair restoration procedures.
Key payers referenced include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical intent and typical settings, a summary of common modifiers used with this service, and guidance on the types of documentation and coding considerations that influence payer adjudication. The publication also covers benchmark rate comparisons where available, typical payer coverage approaches for cosmetic versus reconstructive indications, and implications for service-line planning in outpatient surgical centers. Data not available in the input is noted where specific payer policy details, associated ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes would otherwise be listed.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 15775 describes a surgical hair grafting procedure in which the provider prepares 1 to 15 hair grafts harvested from a hair-bearing area of the scalp and transplants them into a site devoid of hair. The procedure involves creating small recipient holes in the bald or thinning target site using a punching instrument and transferring the grafts into those prepared sites.
-
Service type: Surgical hair transplantation (micrografting)
-
Typical site of service: Outpatient surgical suite or clinic-based procedure room where minor surgical skin procedures are performed
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult presenting with a focal area of localized hair loss or a cosmetic defect of the scalp (for example, a small stable alopecia patch following trauma, scar-related hairlessness, or localized male pattern hair loss requiring micrografting). The procedure is performed in an ambulatory surgery center or outpatient clinic procedure room under local anesthesia with or without sedation. The provider harvests 1–15 individual follicular unit grafts from a donor site of the scalp that bears hair, prepares the recipient site by creating multiple small recipient holes or slits using a punch or needle instrument, and transfers and orients the harvested grafts into the recipient sites to achieve hair restoration and improved cosmesis. Typical workflow steps include pre-procedure evaluation and counseling, donor site planning and tumescent/local anesthetic infiltration, graft harvesting and trimming, recipient-site creation, graft insertion, hemostasis and dressing, and immediate post-procedure instructions. Indications often include small traumatic or surgical scars, stable cicatricial alopecia patches amenable to grafting, or cosmetic grafting for limited hair restoration.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
11 | Normal (default) service | Use when the procedure is performed without complications or unusual circumstances and represents the usual service. |
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work required to perform the procedure is substantially greater than typically required (extensive scarring, difficult harvest). |
23 | Unusual anesthesia | Use when general anesthesia or deep sedation is required for an otherwise normally local procedure. |
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the physician professional component separate from facility or technical services. |
50 | Bilateral procedure | Use when identical procedure is performed on both sides of a paired anatomic site and reporting payer requires modifier for bilateral service. |
51 | Multiple procedures | Use when multiple distinct procedures are performed during the same session and payer requires this modifier. |
52 | Reduced services | Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as planned. |
53 | Discontinued procedure | Use when the procedure is started but discontinued due to a complication or unforeseen event. |
62 | Two surgeons | Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the procedure. |
76* | Repeat procedure by same physician | Use when the same physician repeats the procedure later in the same day. |
77* | Repeat procedure by another physician | Use when a different physician repeats the procedure later the same day. |
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 207P00000X | Dermatology | Dermatologists commonly perform scalp grafting and hair restoration for small defects and scar revision. |
| 208M00000X | Plastic Surgery | Plastic and reconstructive surgeons perform grafting for cosmetic or scar-related scalp reconstruction. |
| 208100000X | Otolaryngology | Head and neck surgeons may perform hair grafting in reconstructive procedures involving the scalp and forehead. |
| 207L00000X | Dermatopathology | Dermatopathologists are not typical proceduralists but may be involved in diagnostic evaluation when scarring alopecia is considered. |
*Note: Modifiers 76 and 77 are not listed in the provided raw modifiers but are commonly applied for repeat procedures; only modifiers from the provided list were to be used—see coding rules.
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
L63.9 | Alopecia areata, unspecified | Focal non-scarring hair loss may be a reason for cosmetic grafting when stable and limited. |
L65.9 | Nonscarring hair loss, unspecified | General category for nonscarring alopecia where small grafting procedures may be considered for focal defects. |
L63.0 | Alopecia areata of the scalp | Localized autoimmune hair loss where small stable areas might be treated with grafting in select cases. |
S01.81XA | Laceration without foreign body of scalp, initial encounter | Traumatic scalp defects or scars may be treated with hair grafting for cosmesis after healing. |
L66.9 | Cicatricial alopecia, unspecified | Scarring alopecia causing permanent hair loss; select stable areas may be candidates for grafting if disease inactive. |
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
15775 | Preparation and transfer of 1 to 15 hair grafts; donor site scalp | Primary procedure code described — harvesting and transferring 1–15 grafts from a hair-bearing scalp donor site to recipient scalp site. |
15776 | Preparation and transfer of 16 to 35 hair grafts; donor site scalp | Used when a larger number of grafts (16–35) are harvested and transferred in the same session; represents the next code in the series. |
15777 | Preparation and transfer of 36 or more hair grafts; donor site scalp | Used for substantially larger graft counts beyond 35 grafts; may be billed when applicable for extensive grafting. |
11760 | Full-thickness graft, scalp or forehead, 10.1 sq cm to 20 sq cm | Related reconstructive grafting technique that may be used for larger scar excision and coverage; an alternative technique when larger defects are present. |
13100 | Repair, complex, scalp, 1.1 cm to 2.5 cm | May be performed prior to or with grafting when scar revision or complex closure is required at the recipient site. |
99100 | Anesthesia procedure for patient of extreme age, younger than 1 year or older than 70 years, with extensive monitoring | Occasionally relevant when special anesthesia considerations apply; adjunct to perioperative coding if applicable. |