Billing code 27892: Leg fasciotomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports anterior and/or lateral leg compartment release with removal of nonviable muscle or nerve, commonly during surgery for acute compartment syndrome.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 27892 in Alaska.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 9 sections
What 27892 covers
This service releases pressure in the anterior and/or lateral leg compartment and includes debridement of nonviable muscle and/or nerve. It is typically performed by an orthopedic or trauma surgeon in a hospital operating room when compartment syndrome has caused tissue injury, such as after significant leg trauma or impaired circulation. The operative report should identify the compartment or compartments released and describe the nonviable tissue removed.
Report 27892 when the release includes the specified debridement; a release without that debridement is represented by a different code. The procedure has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and additional procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
27892 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $636.19 |
How the 27892 rate is calculated
Each of 27892’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 27892
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 7.74Practice expense 6.14Malpractice 1.63
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 27892
27892 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 27892
Leg fasciotomy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 27892
Leg fasciotomy
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
27892 without 50 · national facility
$518.05
Leg fasciotomy
27892-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$777.08
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
27892 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
27892 vs 27893 vs 27894 vs 27600: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 27893Leg fasciotomy
- Choose 27893 when debridement accompanies release of posterior leg compartment(s), rather than anterior and/or lateral compartments.
- 27894Leg fasciotomy
- Choose 27894 when debridement accompanies release of all leg compartments; 27892 is for anterior and/or lateral compartments.
- 27600Leg decompression
- 27600 describes anterior and/or lateral leg compartment release without the debridement included in 27892.
27892 billing questions
How does 27892 differ from a leg fasciotomy without debridement?
Use 27892 when the anterior and/or lateral compartment release includes debridement of nonviable muscle or nerve. A release without that debridement is represented by a different code.
Is debridement separately reported with 27892?
Debridement of nonviable muscle and/or nerve is included in 27892. The operative documentation should establish that the tissue was nonviable and was removed.
How do 27892, 27893, and 27894 differ?
They distinguish which leg compartments are released when debridement is performed: 27892 covers anterior and/or lateral compartments, 27893 posterior compartments, and 27894 all compartments.
How is bilateral 27892 reported for Medicare?
Report bilateral surgery with modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What documentation supports medical necessity for an assistant at surgery?
The record must document why an assistant was medically necessary for this operation. CMS assistant-at-surgery payment is limited to cases with that documentation.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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