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Total Burn Size 2nd Degree
Question: It was noted that Xenograft could not be categorized as partial or full thickness and then it is never the final graft, that it's used as a temporary graft. Is this how xenograft is defined? How should this be correctly entered when coding as a procedure.
Answer: Determination of a partial thickness (2nd degree) or full thickness (3rd degree) can be made by whether the: 1) the wound heals on its own or 2) requires a permanent wound cover like a split or full thickness skin graft or cultured epithelial autograft (CEA). Xenograft generally comes from pigskin and provides temporary coverage of a wound. The use of xenograft cannot determine what the depth of the wound is, as it can be used on both partial and full thickness injuries.