Dr. Christopher Lechner, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Lechner
Dr. Christopher Lechner is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Asheville, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lechner performed 4,899 Medicare services across 2,724 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lechner received a total of $400 from 8 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 20 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Lechner is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
1,808 | $1 | $10 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
498 | $59 | $127 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
463 | $91 | $179 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
334 | $37 | $155 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
255 | $33 | $130 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
246 | $26 | $75 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
200 | $117 | $260 |
| X-ray of hand, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
167 | $22 | $90 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
130 | $25 | $100 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
123 | $64 | $180 |
| Wrist X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
119 | $24 | $90 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
76 | $37 | $145 |
| Injection of carpal tunnel | 75 | $57 | $169 |
| Incision of finger tendon sheath A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon. |
74 | $164 | $1,295 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
61 | $240 | $1,960 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
52 | $30 | $100 |
| Skin graft repair, 10 sq cm or less A surgical procedure to repair a wound by transferring a small piece of skin to the affected area. The graft covers wounds on the face, neck, hands, feet, or other specified body parts. |
36 | $434 | $1,200 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
34 | $124 | $230 |
| Tendon relocation of forearm or wrist A surgical procedure to reposition a tendon in the forearm or wrist to restore proper function or alignment. |
30 | $241 | $2,140 |
| Wrist to finger joint removal Surgical removal of the bones forming the joints between the wrist and the fingers. |
30 | $636 | $2,590 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
27 | $39 | $70 |
| Fusion of finger joint, initial joint A surgical procedure to fuse the bones of a finger joint together to create a single, stable bone. |
18 | $419 | $1,815 |
| Palm connective tissue removal and finger release Surgical removal of abnormal connective tissue in the palm to release tension on the first finger. |
17 | $614 | $2,620 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 14 | $145 | $341 |
| Removal of tendon growth, finger or hand A procedure to remove a growth from a tendon in the finger or hand. |
12 | $197 | $1,935 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2022 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2022)
All-time payments by company (2018-2022) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (94%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
4.8 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2022 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Lechner is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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