Summary & Overview
HCPCS Level II C1765: Adhesion Barrier Device
HCPCS Level II code C1765 represents an adhesion barrier device used as an intraoperative surgical adjunct to reduce postoperative adhesions. Adhesion barriers are clinically relevant across many surgical specialties — including general, gynecologic, and colorectal surgery — because adhesions can contribute to complications such as bowel obstruction, chronic pain, and repeat operations. Nationally, billing and coverage for adhesion barriers influence device access, hospital supply planning, and procedure-level costs.
Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of what C1765 denotes, typical sites of service, and how the code fits into surgical supply and billing workflows. The publication summarizes benchmark considerations, payer coverage patterns, common billing scenarios, and relevant policy updates affecting device coding and reimbursement. It also provides clinical context on when adhesion barriers are used and the implications for hospital coding staff and surgical teams.
This national-level summary is intended to help coding managers, revenue cycle leaders, and clinicians understand the role of HCPCS Level II code C1765 in perioperative billing, coverage discussions, and resource planning. Data not available in the input will be noted in detailed sections where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code C1765 describes an adhesion barrier used during surgical procedures to reduce postoperative adhesions. The service type is intraoperative surgical adjunct intended to be applied or placed at the surgical site to minimize tissue adherence after surgery. The typical site of service is an operating room / surgical suite where procedures involve tissue dissection and risk of adhesion formation.
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Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult undergoing an open or laparoscopic abdominal or pelvic surgery — for example, an adhesiolysis or gynecologic procedure (e.g., hysterectomy) — during which the surgeon applies an adhesion barrier product (C1765) to raw peritoneal surfaces to reduce postoperative adhesions. The clinical workflow: preoperative assessment identifies prior abdominal surgery, chronic pelvic pain, or infertility where adhesion prevention is indicated; intraoperatively, after hemostasis and appropriate wound irrigation, the surgeon selects and applies the adhesion barrier according to manufacturer instructions to areas at high risk for adhesion formation; the product is documented in the operative report and charged using HCPCS Level II code C1765; postoperative care includes routine monitoring for surgical complications and documentation of wound healing and any device-related issues for coding and billing reconciliation.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | When work or complexity of the surgical procedure is substantially greater than typical and supporting documentation in the operative note justifies it. |