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Billing code

Z154A — Repair of lacerations - up to 5cm (face and/or requires tying of bleeders and/or closure in layers)

Laceration repair, face or layered

Bill for repairing a laceration up to 5 cm that is on the face, or needs tied bleeders or layered closure.

Watch for: Tissue adhesive closure pays 50%, and it isn't payable with wound debridement codes Z080 to Z085.

Code

Z154A

Description

Repair of lacerations - up to 5cm (face and/or requires tying of bleeders and/or closure in layers)

FHO+ basket

Covered by the FHO+ base rate payment for enrolled patients, and shadow billed at 30% (50% for Schedule 2B procedures).

Effective date

Apr 1, 2026

Termination date

No end date

Explanation

Updated October 26, 2026

Repair of a laceration up to 5 cm that is on the face, or needs tying of bleeders or closure in layers. Tissue adhesive closure pays 50%.

What it covers

Z154 is repair of a laceration up to 5 cm that is on the face and/or needs tying of bleeders and/or closure in layers (M15). Any one of the three conditions (face, tied bleeders, layered closure) makes it Z154 rather than the basic Z176 (M15).

As a Z code it is an independent operative procedure (IOP), payable in addition to an assessment (GP4). Removal of sutures only has no fee code of its own: it is a usual visit code (UVC), paid as the appropriate visit (M15, GP12).

Billing rules

• Bill by length and type: Z176 up to 5 cm; Z154 up to 5 cm on the face and/or with tied bleeders and/or layered closure; Z177 for the same at 5.1 to 10 cm (M15).
• Closure with tissue adhesive (such as cyanoacrylate) is paid at 50% of the fee (M15).
• Not eligible for payment with wound and ulcer debridement (Z080 to Z085); when extensive debridement is needed, add E531 (IC) to the repair instead (M10, M15).
• E542 is added when the repair is done outside hospital; E530 is added when inhalation general anaesthesia (other than a 50% N2O/O2 mixture) is used and the suture is the sole procedure (M15).
• A repair taking at least 20 minutes that meets the complex criteria (for example three or more layers or ligation of multiple bleeding vessels) is Z187 (face) or Z188 (other areas), with the time charted (M15, M16). Plastic surgery codes R150 to R154 are not eligible for payment for any laceration repair (M16).
• A non-elective repair started in the evening, at night, or on a weekend or holiday takes the after-hours procedure premium: E409 (+50%) or E410 (+75%), or E412 (+20%) / E413 (+40%) for an emergency department physician billing H-prefix codes (GP103, GP104).
• Surgical procedures for patients under 16 are paid with an age premium of 10% to 30% depending on age (GP64).
• FHO: a Schedule 2 core service and one of the Schedule 2B codes with 50% total shadow billing for enrolled patients; it also counts toward the Schedule 4 office procedures payment when done in the office (Agreement p.59 §4.4, p.81, p.88, p.67 §8.7, p.95).

Often billed with

• E542 when the repair is done in the office or elsewhere outside hospital (M15).
• The assessment for the visit, such as A007 or A003; the repair is paid in addition (GP4).
• E530 when inhalation general anaesthesia is used and the suture is the sole procedure (M15).

Related codes: Z176, Z177, Z187, Z188, E542, E530

Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Integumentary System Surgical Procedures, Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue, Repair of lacerations, page M15 (complex repair rules M16, debridement rule M10); General Preamble GP4, GP12, GP64, GP103–GP104

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