CPT 97602: Non-selective Wound Debridement - OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 97602: Non-selective Wound Debridement

Headline: CPT code 97602: Non-selective wound debridement, reported per session

Lead: CPT code 97602 identifies non-selective removal of dead tissue from wounds to assess depth, lower infection risk, and promote healing. The code is used nationally across outpatient and ambulatory settings and is reported per debridement session.

What this code represents and why it matters: CPT code 97602 captures non-selective debridement procedures that are a core component of wound management. Accurate coding affects clinical documentation, care planning, and payment for wound care services delivered in clinics, wound centers, and emergency departments. Because debridement can influence healing trajectories and infection prevention, correct reporting is important for clinical continuity and administrative tracking.

Key payers covered in this analysis: Aetna; Blue Cross Blue Shield; Cigna Health; UnitedHealthcare; and Medicare.

What readers will learn: This publication provides benchmarks and practical policy context for CPT code 97602, including clinical scope and typical sites of service, comparisons to selective debridement codes, and common billing and reporting considerations. Readers will find concise explanations of when CPT code 97602 is used, how it differs from related debridement codes, and the implications for coding and reimbursement across major national payers.

Intended audience: coders, clinicians involved in wound care, revenue cycle professionals, and policy analysts seeking a national overview of this CPT wound debridement code.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 97602wound debridementwound careambulatory careprocedure codingbilling guidanceclinical documentationnon-selective debridementmedical codingrevenue cycle

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 97602 describes a non-selective wound debridement procedure in which the provider removes dead tissue from a wound without differentiating between viable and nonviable tissues. The service facilitates assessment of wound depth, reduces infection risk, and supports wound healing. It is reported per debridement session and typically includes provision of wound care instructions to the patient.

Service Type: Non-selective wound debridement

Typical Site of Service: Outpatient clinic, wound care center, emergency department, or other ambulatory settings where wound assessment and debridement are provided

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old patient with type 2 diabetes and peripheral vascular disease presents to an outpatient wound clinic with a chronic, non-healing ulcer of the lower leg. The wound shows adherent necrotic tissue and slough impairing assessment of wound depth and viable tissue. The provider performs a non-selective debridement session: removal of dead tissue without attempt to differentiate viable from nonviable tissue to reduce infection risk and expose healthy tissue for healing. The encounter includes wound assessment, cleaning, mechanical removal of devitalized material, patient education on wound care and offloading, and documentation of wound size and response. The service is billed once per debridement session using 97602, with wound measurements and clinical rationale documented in the medical record. Typical sites of service include outpatient wound care clinics, physician offices (family medicine, general practice, surgery), hospital outpatient departments, and skilled nursing facilities where bedside non-selective debridement is performed. The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure assessment, pain management as indicated, procedure documentation (area treated and findings), dressing application, and follow-up plan including potential selective debridement (97597/97598) or additional sessions as clinically indicated.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use

Related Codes

29044

CPT 29044: Application of Body Cast, Shoulder to Hips and Down One Thigh

29705

CPT 29705: Removal or Repair of Casts and Strapping

cpt-97605-negative-pressure-wound-therapy-small-wound

CPT 97605: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Small Wounds

cpt-29580-unna-boot-spiral-compression-dressing-application

CPT 29580: Unna Boot (Spiral Compression Dressing) Application

99316

CPT 99316: Nursing Facility Discharge Management, >30 Minutes

cpt-97598-additional-selective-wound-debridement-20cm2

CPT 97598: Selective Excision of Devitalized Tissue, Additional 20 cm2

cpt-29520-hip-elastic-adhesive-taping-strapping

CPT 29520: Hip Elastic Adhesive Taping (Strapping)

cpt-29345-long-leg-cast-application-immobilization

CPT 29345: Long Leg Cast Application, Leg and Knee Immobilization

97167

CPT 97167: Occupational Therapy Evaluation, High Complexity

cpt-29130-static-finger-splint-application

CPT 29130: Static Finger Splint Application

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`208D00000X`	General Practice	Common primary care providers who may perform or coordinate wound care and simple debridement.
`207Q00000X`	Family Medicine	Family physicians often perform office-based wound assessments and bedside non-selective debridement.
`208600000X`	Surgery	Surgeons perform more complex wound care and may perform debridement in clinic or operating settings.
`225100000X`	Physical Therapist	Physical therapists with wound care training may perform wound treatment and non-invasive debridement adjuncts where allowed by state scope of practice.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`L97.909`	Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified part of unspecified lower leg	Common chronic ulcer requiring debridement to remove necrotic tissue and enable accurate assessment and healing.
`L89.309`	Pressure ulcer of unspecified buttock, stage 1	Early-stage pressure injury that may require debridement of devitalized tissue if progression or slough is present.
`T81.31XA`	Disruption of external operation (surgical) wound, not elsewhere classified, initial encounter	Postoperative wound separation often managed with debridement to remove necrotic tissue and reduce infection risk.
`S81.009A`	Unspecified open wound, unspecified knee, initial encounter	Acute open wound that may require non-selective debridement during initial management to remove contaminants and devitalized tissue.
`L98.499`	Non-pressure chronic ulcer of skin of other sites with unspecified severity	Miscellaneous chronic ulcers in other locations that may benefit from non-selective debridement to promote healing.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`97601`	Removal of devitalized tissue from wound(s); selective debridement, without anesthesia, including topical application(s), wound assessment, and instruction(s) for ongoing care, per session	Selective debridement alternative when the provider removes only nonviable tissue and documents selective technique and area treated; often used instead of `97602` when selective sharp debridement techniques are performed.
`97597`	Selective (including sharp) debridement of devitalized tissue, without anesthesia, first 20 sq cm or less	Used when sharp/selective debridement is performed on initial 20 cm2; may be billed in the same episode if clinical criteria differ from non-selective debridement.
`97598`	Each additional 20 sq cm, or part thereof, of selective debridement beyond the first 20 sq cm	Used in conjunction with `97597` when selective debridement area exceeds the first 20 cm2; not billed with `97602` which is non-selective per session.