Summary & Overview

CPT 15108: Split-Thickness Autograft, Face/Head ≤100 sq cm

Headline: CPT 15108: Split-Thickness Autograft for Face and Head Regions, ≤100 sq cm

Lead: CPT 15108 identifies the surgical application of a split-thickness autograft to facial and adjacent head and neck areas covering 100 square centimeters or less, a procedure commonly used for management of burns, complex wounds, and reconstructive needs. This code captures a focused grafting service in outpatient surgical settings and is relevant to plastic and reconstructive surgical practice nationally.

What the code represents and why it matters: CPT 15108 documents a targeted autograft procedure for cosmetically and functionally sensitive areas of the head and neck. Proper coding ensures clear clinical communication, supports appropriate billing for specialized grafting services, and aligns surgical documentation with payer coverage policies.

Key payers covered: The analysis addresses coverage considerations for Blue Cross Blue Shield and situates the code within typical outpatient hospital workflows.

Overview of what readers will learn: Readers will find a concise description of the procedure’s clinical context, typical site-of-service use, and related procedural relationships useful for coding and billing workflows. The publication outlines where CPT 15108 sits among nearby grafting codes and identifies common clinical indications driving use. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.

Blue Cross Blue ShieldCPT15108Split-thickness autograftSurgeryOutpatientSkin graftingReconstructive surgeryBurn care

CPT Code Overview

CPT 15108 describes the application of a split-thickness autograft to the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, or orbits for a graft area of 100 square centimeters or less. The procedure involves harvesting a partial-thickness skin graft from the patient (autograft) and applying it to a recipient site on the specified head and neck regions.

Service Type: Surgery

Typical Site of Service: Outpatient Hospital (POS 22)

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A patient presents to an outpatient hospital surgical clinic with full-thickness or deep partial-thickness skin loss of the face/neck region (for example, a third-degree burn to the head and face). After initial stabilization and wound assessment, the surgical team evaluates the wound bed for suitability for split-thickness autograft. In the operating room under appropriate anesthesia, the recipient site is prepared; a thin split-thickness skin graft is harvested from a donor site, meshed or fenestrated as indicated, and the graft is applied to the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, orbits covering 100 square centimeters or less. Postoperative care includes dressing application, graft immobilization, short-term outpatient follow-up for graft take assessment, and wound care instructions. Typical care team members include a plastic surgeon or surgeon with relevant specialty credentialing, perioperative nursing, and outpatient wound care services.

Coding Specifications

Common Modifiers
51 - Multiple Procedures: Used when multiple surgical procedures are performed at the same session by the same provider. Apply when 15108 is one of several procedures and payer rules require identification of multiple procedures.
59 - Distinct Procedural Service: Used to indicate a procedure or service that is distinct or independent from other services performed on the same day. Apply when 15108 is performed in a separate anatomic area or for a separate condition from another procedure and documentation supports distinct service.
Associated Provider Taxonomies

Taxonomy Code	Specialty
`208200000X`	Plastic Surgery
`207X00000X`	Orthopaedic Surgery
`208600000X`	Surgery

Notes on use
Use modifier 51 when multiple procedures are billed together in accordance with payer bundling rules.
Use modifier 59 only when documentation supports a distinct procedural service separate from other reported procedures.
Provider taxonomies identify the specialties typically performing this procedure: plastic surgeons most commonly, orthopaedic surgeons when facial or craniofacial reconstruction falls within their scope, and general surgeons where applicable.

Related Diagnoses

T20.30XA - Burn of third degree of head, face, and neck, initial encounter

Relevance: Severe full-thickness burn of the head/face/neck may require skin grafting with a split-thickness autograft such as 15108 to restore wound coverage.
L90.5 - Scar conditions and fibrosis of skin

Relevance: Scar contractures or hypertrophic scarring on the face or neck can necessitate scar excision and resurfacing with split-thickness grafts covered by 15108.
S01.90XA - Unspecified open wound of unspecified part of head, initial encounter

Relevance: Open wounds of the head or face that are not amenable to primary closure may require skin grafting using 15108 for definitive coverage.
T21.31XA - Burn of third degree of chest wall, initial encounter

Relevance: While this code describes chest wall burns, it may be present as a concurrent injury; 15108 applies specifically to face/neck regions but may be part of staged reconstruction when facial grafting is required.
T22.30XA - Burn of third degree of upper arm, initial encounter

Relevance: Upper arm third-degree burns may coexist with facial burns; 15108 would be used for the face/neck grafting portion of the overall burn reconstruction plan.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to `15108`
`15002`	Surgical preparation or creation of recipient site by excision of open wounds, burn eschar, or scar	Performed prior to grafting when debridement or excision of nonviable tissue is required to create an appropriate recipient bed; commonly performed in the same operative episode.

| 15100 | Split-thickness autograft, trunk, arms, legs, 100 sq cm or less | Analogous grafting code for other anatomic regions; used as an alternative when grafting is performed on trunk, arms, or legs instead of face/neck areas.

| 15120 | Split-thickness autograft, face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, orbits, each additional 100 sq cm | Used in addition to 15108 when the total grafted area on the listed anatomic regions exceeds the initial 100 sq cm; billed for each additional 100 sq cm increment.

| 15240 | Full-thickness graft, free, including direct closure of donor site, face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, orbits, 20 sq cm or less | An alternative graft type for small defects in the same anatomic regions; may be chosen instead of split-thickness grafting depending on clinical indications.

Codes commonly used together: 15002 with 15108 when recipient site preparation is required.
Codes as alternatives: 15100 for other body regions; 15240 as an alternative graft technique for small facial defects.

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA share an identical national mean allowed rate of $80.02 for CPT 15108, which matches the reported national average commercial benchmark. Medicare data are not available in the input.

Rate dispersion is minimal for the payers present: both Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA have a 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile all at $80.00, yielding a P75–P25 spread of $0.00 and indicating the tightest possible distribution. For other national payers, data are not available in the input. The table and chart below present the full breakdown of available national benchmarks.

National Mean Rates for CPT `15108` by Payer

State Benchmarks

State: AK1 / 46

Alaska Benchmarks

For CPT 15108, Alaska's reimbursement rates from Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA are highly consistent, with no spread between the 25th and 75th percentiles; all values are exactly $80.00. This uniformity means there is no variation in rates among providers for these payers. Compared to national averages, Alaska's mean rates are marginally higher, but the difference is less than $1.00, indicating close alignment with national benchmarks.

The table and chart below present the full payer breakdown for Alaska, showing mean rates and percentile values for each payer with available data.

Mean Reimbursement Rates by Payer in Alaska for CPT `15108`

Key Insights for Alaska

Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA both offer the highest and lowest mean rates for CPT 15108 in Alaska, at $80.82.
There is no rate spread between the 25th and 75th percentiles for any payer, indicating uniform reimbursement.
Alaska's mean rates are slightly higher than national averages for CPT 15108, but the difference is minimal.

Related Codes

15002

CPT 15002: Surgical Preparation or Incisional Release of Scar Contracture

15114

CPT 15114: Split-Thickness Autograft Application, Additional 100 sq cm

15101

CPT 15101: Split-Thickness Autograft, Each Additional 100 sq. cm. or Less

16028

CPT 16028: Dressings and Debridement for Small Partial-Thickness Burns

16032

CPT 16032: Dressings and Debridement for Small Partial-Thickness Burns

16021

CPT 16021: Dressings and Debridement for Small Partial-Thickness Burns

15110

CPT 15110: Epidermal Autograft for Trunk, Arms, or Legs

16024

CPT 16024: Dressings and Debridement for Small Partial-Thickness Burns

15120

CPT 15120: Split-Thickness Autograft for Sensitive Areas, First 100 sq cm

15115

CPT 15115: Epidermal Autograft for Sensitive Areas in Infants and Children

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