Optometry Coding & Billing Alert

Question: I am unable to find a diagnosis code for distichiasis. The patient had an eyelash in the right upper lid. Also, would the CPT code for the removal be under foreign-body removal?

California Subscriber

Answer: The index of the ICD-9 manual directs you to 743.63 (Other specified congenital anomalies of eyelid) for distichiasis, a rare congenital condition that results in a second row of eyelashes. The extra eyelashes grow from the Meibomian glands and may grow to irritate the cornea.
 
For removal with forceps, report 67820 (Correction of trichiasis; epilation, by forceps only). Although most Medicare carriers will reimburse epilation only once for each eye treated, check your local carrier's guidelines for coding instructions.