On-DemandSpecialty Courses

The Plastic Surgery Coding Professional: A Comprehensive Training Program

Plastic and reconstructive operative reports are often detailed, with measurements, tissue planes, flap design, and several stages of work in a single case. Those details are essential when distinguishing excision, closure, grafting, tissue transfer, and revision services. We will examine these procedures through actual documentation examples and practical coding questions. The course covers skin and soft tissue work, flaps and grafts, breast reconstruction, body contouring, hand surgery, facial procedures, and complex wounds. The goal is to help experienced coders understand what the surgeon described, identify the measurements and techniques needed for CPT reporting, and recognize when the documentation supports a code or needs clarification.

41 lessons

Webinar Objectives

Recognize skin, soft tissue, breast, hand, and facial anatomy in operative reports.
Identify documented measurements, surgical planes, grafts, flaps, and repair techniques.
Understand how reconstructive and cosmetic documentation questions affect code research.
Recognize documented clinical details without drawing independent medical conclusions.
Find the passages in operative reports that support a proposed CPT code.
Distinguish separately reportable work from services already included in another code.
Use current CPT instructions, coding guidance and applicable edits to check code selection.
Recognize missing, unclear or conflicting details that could affect coding accuracy.
Know when a physician clarification is needed and when the existing record is sufficient.
Explain coding decisions clearly to providers and clinical staff using the documented work.

Format & Logistics

Format: Self-paced, online

Curriculum: 10 modules, 16 instructional hours

Access period: 6 months from enrollment

Credential: Healthcare Inspired Certificate of Completion

Audience: Experienced medical coders, plastic surgery coders, coding auditors, documentation specialists and revenue integrity professionals

Recommended background: Working knowledge of CPT and ICD-10-CM coding

Completion requirements: All 10 modules viewed in full; all module practical applications completed; Module 1-9 assessments passed at 70% (125 questions total, unlimited retakes) to unlock each next module; Module 10 Final Competency Assessment (30 questions + 5 comprehensive operative report case reviews) passed at 80%

HCI documentation review method: IDENTIFY, UNDERSTAND, LOCATE, VALIDATE, CLARIFY

Regular tuition: $99. Included at no additional cost for Annual HCi members in a qualifying tier (Signature, Premier or Pinnacle) via your membership's specialty course redemptions.

Important Disclaimers

This course is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, compliance, or professional advice. Always consult your organization's legal counsel, compliance officer, or payer-specific guidance before applying any coding, billing, or documentation practice discussed here.

CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association (AMA). Healthcare Inspired is not affiliated with or endorsed by the AMA.

This course does not offer CEU credit on its own. HCi members have access to separate CEU-eligible live webinars and events as part of their membership, and this specialty course is included in qualifying HCi membership tiers.

Course Content

Module 1: Foundations of Plastic Surgery Documentation Analysis

Lesson 1.1: Your Role in Plastic Surgery Coding

Lesson 1.2: Reading the Operative Report

Lesson 1.3: Terms That Change the Code

Lesson 1.4: Reconstructive and Cosmetic Documentation

Lesson 1.5: Researching Plastic Surgery Codes

Module 2: Skin, Lesion Excision & Wound Repair Documentation

Lesson 2.1: Benign, Malignant and Pathology

Lesson 2.2: Excised Diameter and Margins

Lesson 2.3: Re-Excisions and Multiple Lesions

Lesson 2.4: Simple, Intermediate and Complex Repair

Lesson 2.5: Adding Repairs and Body Area Groups

Module 3: Flaps, Grafts & Tissue Transfer Documentation

Lesson 3.1: Grafts versus Flaps

Lesson 3.2: Wound Preparation and Split-Thickness Grafts

Lesson 3.3: Full-Thickness Grafts and Substitutes

Lesson 3.4: Adjacent Tissue Transfer

Lesson 3.5: Pedicle, Muscle and Free Flaps

Module 4: Breast Reconstruction & Breast Surgery Documentation

Lesson 4.1: Reconstruction Paths

Lesson 4.2: Expanders, Implants and Capsules

Lesson 4.3: Flaps and Revisions

Lesson 4.4: Symmetry and Coverage

Module 5: Body Contouring & Abdominal Wall Documentation

Lesson 5.1: Panniculectomy, Abdominoplasty and Liposuction

Lesson 5.2: Diastasis, Hernia and Component Separation

Lesson 5.3: Purpose, Coverage, Modifiers and Surgeon Roles

Lesson 5.4: Three Body Contouring Cases

Module 6: Hand & Upper Extremity Documentation

Lesson 6.1: Anatomy and Operative Mapping

Lesson 6.2: Tendon and Nerve Repair

Lesson 6.3: Releases, Fractures and Replantation

Lesson 6.4: Three Hand Cases

Module 7: Facial Plastic & Craniofacial Documentation

Lesson 7.1: Facial Anatomy and Procedure Targets

Lesson 7.2: Eyelid, Brow and Nasal Procedures

Lesson 7.3: Facial Fractures and Craniofacial Review

Lesson 7.4: Three Facial Cases

Module 8: Burns, Pressure Injuries & Complex Wound Documentation

Lesson 8.1: Wound Depth, Area and Diagnosis

Lesson 8.2: Burns, Pressure Injuries and Reconstruction

Lesson 8.3: Skin Substitutes and Negative-Pressure Therapy

Lesson 8.4: Three Complex-Wound Cases

Module 9: Documentation Support, Coding Compliance & Physician Communication

Lesson 9.1: Evidence and Source Hierarchy

Lesson 9.2: Neutral Clarification and Query Review

Lesson 9.3: Coding Rationale and Release Controls

Lesson 9.4: Case 9.1 Walkthrough - A Flap With Incomplete Measurements

Module 10: Advanced Plastic Surgery Operative Report Analysis & Practical Application

Lesson 10.1: Integrated Review Method and Measurement Check

Lesson 10.2: Staged Work, Distinct Services and Five Written Case Reviews