Crack the Code on This Damaged IOL Insertion Case
Question: I have a surgical report in which the surgeon performed cataract surgery. The surgeon noticed the intraocular lens (IOL) was cracked after it had been placed in the capsular bag. The surgeon immediately removed the IOL and replaced it with a new lens. Would we report two instances of the procedure code? Tennessee Subscriber Answer: No, you won’t assign two instances of the procedure code, such as 66984 (Extracapsular cataract removal with insertion of intraocular lens prosthesis (1 stage procedure), manual or mechanical technique (eg, irrigation and aspiration or phacoemulsification); without endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation), to report the surgery. Since the first IOL was damaged during the surgery and the provider removed and replaced it with a new lens, you’ll report only one instance of the cataract procedure code. You can also contact the individual payer to confirm their preferences on how to report this unique situation. Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Development Editor, AAPC
