Recognize How to Code a Rust Ring Removal Procedure
Question: A 63-year-old patient presented to the emergency department (ED) thinking they had a fleck of metal in their right eye. The ophthalmologist examined the patient and identified the presence of a rust ring in the cornea. The provider used a slit lamp to remove the ring. How do I report the procedure? Mississippi Subscriber Answer: Assign 65222 (Removal of foreign body, external eye; corneal, with slit lamp) to report the corneal rust ring removal with a slit lamp. The rust ring is a foreign body in the eye that typically develops within a few hours after metallic pieces become stuck in the cornea. As the iron oxidizes in the metal after it’s lodged in the body, a ring occurs. Diagnosis coding: You’ll use T15.01XA (Foreign body in cornea, right eye, initial encounter) to report the corneal rust ring diagnosis of the right eye. The rust ring was due to a metallic fleck (foreign body) lodged in the right eye’s cornea. The 7th character “A” indicates that the patient is seeking active treatment for the injury. Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Production Editor, AAPC
