Soft tissue repair · Foot & ankle
Add-on code for selective debridement of each additional 20 square centimeters of open wound surface beyond the first 20.
- Medicare
- $47.76
- Work RVU
- 0.49
- Global, days
- Region
- Foot & ankle
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Measurements of each wound debrided
- Total surface area calculation
- Tissue removed and depth for each wound
- Primary code 97597 on the same claim
- Instruments used
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
97598 adds area to a selective debridement. It is reported with 97597 for each additional 20 sq cm or part of it. It cannot be billed alone.
Math is where it fails. Measure every wound debrided at the surface level, add the areas, and assign units. A 12 sq cm heel ulcer and a 15 sq cm ankle wound total 27 sq cm, which is one unit of 97597 and one unit of 97598. Do not bill 97597 twice for two wounds.
Ortho and podiatry practices treating large lower extremity wounds, or multiple diabetic ulcers on both feet, see this most. If any wound was debrided deeper, it moves to the 11042 to 11047 series and its area does not count here. Document measurements for each wound so the reviewer can repeat the sum. Medicare requires a therapy modifier when a therapist bills it.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (0.49) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (1.43) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 0.49 |
| Practice expense RVU | 0.88 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.06 |
| Total RVU | 1.43 |
| Medicare national rate | $47.76 |
| Global period | days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $47.76 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 97598 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Billed without 97597
- Total area does not support the units
- Deeper wounds counted in the surface total
- 97597 billed twice instead of using 97598
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Can I bill 97598 alone?
02How do I bill two wounds at the same depth?
03Does a partial 20 sq cm count?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe lists each wound's measurements in the note so the total area and the 97598 units can be checked at a glance.
See how Mira captures CPT 97598 documentation