Selective Sharp Debridement Policy of Advanced Healing, Inc.
We will provide selective sharp debridement when necessary. CMS has determined the following as contra-indications:
The contraindications include, the presence of granulation tissue in a higher amount than the devitalized tissue, inability to control pain, patients with poor perfusion, and an intact eschar with no gross clinical evidence of an underlying infection. Debridements will not be considered necessary for a wound that is clean and free of slough and necrotic tissue. (www.cms.gov).
However, some wound care companies push their providers to debride excessively. Of course, this does provide them with higher billing. I find this practice unethical, harmful, and subject to litigation. One company states on their website that "debridement is the mainstay treatment to create a healing wound matrix (www.skilledwoundcare.com). Another company states they use injectable anesthesia to adequately manage the pain (www.vohrawoundcare.com). However, in my decades of experience, the most I have ever seen is an occasional blast of benzocaine spray.
Excessive sharp debridement is a detriment to healing...it is only used to make money. (www.woundsource.com McGuire, 2019)
Keeping an evidence-based practice is the only solution to the unethical practices of profit-driven physician groups.
Therefore, selective sharp debridement will only be considered when absolutely necessary!
