Billing code 15851: Suture removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
Report removal of sutures or staples when anesthesia is required, such as for closure material being removed from a postoperative wound.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 15851 in Nevada.
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 15851 covers
This service covers removal of sutures or staples when the patient needs anesthesia for the removal. It is typically performed by a physician in a procedure or operating room setting, for example when closure material from a surgical incision cannot be removed during an awake office visit. The service is distinct from routine removal that can be completed without anesthesia and from a dressing change alone.
Document the wound or incision, the sutures or staples removed, and why anesthesia was required. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the remaining procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; 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.
15851 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $57.74 |
How the 15851 rate is calculated
Each of 15851’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 · 15851
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.07
1.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.55
0.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.13
0.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.7500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$58.45
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15851
The CMS indicators that decide how 15851 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15851
Suture removal
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
15851 without 51 · national facility
$58.45
Suture removal
15851-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$29.23
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
15851 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15853Closure removal
- Choose 15853 when sutures or staples can be removed without anesthesia. Code 15851 is for removal requiring anesthesia.
- 15854Suture removal
- Choose 15854 for removal of both sutures and staples without anesthesia. Anesthesia-required removal is reported with 15851.
- 15852Dressing change
- Code 15852 describes a dressing change under anesthesia, not removal of sutures or staples. Report the service supported by the work performed.
15851 billing questions
How does this differ from 15853 or 15854?
Use 15851 when anesthesia is required for suture or staple removal. Codes 15853 and 15854 describe removal without anesthesia; 15854 is for removal of both sutures and staples.
What documentation supports reporting 15851?
Document the wound, the sutures or staples removed, and the clinical reason anesthesia was necessary. The record should support that this was not routine removal performed without anesthesia.
Is same-day postoperative care separately included?
The code has a 0-day global period, which includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in that session are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be reported?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code.
Can co-surgeons or a surgical team report this service?
Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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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