Question

According to CPT, a repair of a laceration that includes retention sutures would be considered what type of closure?

a) Complex repair
b) Intermediate repair
c) Simple repair
d) Adjacent tissue transfer or rearrangement

Answer 1

The inclusion of retention sutures in the repair of a laceration typically categorizes the procedure as a complex repair according to CPT guidelines.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), the repair of a laceration that includes retention sutures would typically be considered a complex repair. This repair generally involves more intricate procedures beyond simple closure of wounds, including multiple layers of wound closure with extensive cleaning, debridement, and preparation, or the necessity to use retention sutures for securing layers of tissue along with their associated wound edges. In contrast, simple repairs involve superficial wounds that are primarily closed, and intermediate repairs may include layered closure of deeper tissues, but without the additional complexity that retention sutures indicate. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is a) Complex repair.