Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding 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 the removal, report the appropriate trichiasis code (67820-67835, Correction of trichiasis ...) depending on the method the ophthalmologist used. Although most Medicare carriers will reimburse epilation only once for each eye treated, check your local carrier's guidelines for coding instructions.