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CPT 97598: Selective Excision of Devitalized Tissue, Additional 20 cm2
CPT code 97598 represents selective excision of devitalized tissue from an open wound for each additional 20 cm² (or part thereof) after the first 20 cm² is treated. This code captures incremental wound care work in settings where clinicians perform sharp or high‑pressure waterjet debridement during the same encounter. Nationally, accurate use of the code matters for clinical documentation, resource allocation in outpatient wound programs, and consistent billing for incremental wound surface area.
Key payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an explanation of the code’s clinical scope and typical sites of service, comparisons to related wound debridement codes, and the common billing contexts in which the code is applied. The publication outlines benchmarks and coding relationships relevant to CPT 97598, clarifies when it is used relative to the initial debridement code, and summarizes the clinical activities it covers (sharp debridement, waterjet techniques, topical care, wound assessment, and patient instructions).
This national overview is intended for clinicians, practice managers, and coding professionals seeking concise guidance on the clinical meaning and billing context of CPT 97598, including how it fits into active wound care workflows and code groupings used for debridement services.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 97598 describes the selective excision of devitalized (dead) tissue from an open wound for each additional 20 cm² or part thereof after the initial 20 cm² has been debrided at the same encounter. The procedure may use sharp instruments (scissors, forceps, scalpel), a high‑pressure waterjet with or without suction, or other selective techniques. Treatment can include removal of deep or superficial tissue layers, blood clots, debris, or biofilm adhered to wound tissues. The service may also include topical application of medication or materials, wound assessment, whirlpool when performed, and instructions for ongoing care.
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Service type: Selective wound debridement (additional 20 cm² increments)
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Typical site of service: Outpatient wound care clinics, physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, hospital outpatient departments, and other outpatient settings
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National averages show Medicare at a mean of $49.3 for CPT 97598 versus BUCA’s higher commercial mean of $161.1, indicating BUCA pays about $111.8 more on average than Medicare. That difference underscores a substantial gap between a federal fee schedule–based payer and an aggregated commercial benchmark, with Medicare also reporting a tight interquartile spread (P75 $51 minus P25 $46 = $5), implying relatively consistent locality rates across its 47 localities. Dispersion across commercial payers varies notably: Blue Cross Blue Shield exhibits the widest IQR (P75 $308.8 minus P25 $197.1 = $111.7), signaling substantial variability in contracted rates, while Aetna (P75 $43 minus P25 $14.1 = $28.9) and UnitedHealth Group (P75 $53.8 minus P25 $26.9 = $26.9) show the tightest interquartile ranges among the commercial carriers, suggesting more concentration around their medians.