In ICD-9, we used non-magnetic foreign body in the vitreous. We are unsure of the appropriate ICD-10 diagnosis code. Answer: There is no specific code for silicone oil removal. Most practices use T85.398- Other mechanical complication of prosthetic devices, implants and grafts.
Removing silicone oil following a complex retinal detachment typically occurs via either vitrectomy or aspiration without a vitrectomy. The two most common codes used for removal of oil, without treatment of other pathology, are 67036 and 67121. The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) manual defines these two codes as:
If the technique to remove the silicone oil did not make use of any vitrectomy instruments then you would use 67121. Because the silicone has a tendency to promote cataracts and/or cause cornea damage the removal can happen within the 90 day global of the placement of the oil.
I feel 67121 is the most appropriate as a vitrectomy was previously performed. The doctor removed silicone oil due to complications. Answer: If the surgeon performs a PPV to remove the silicone oil, bill 67036; if aspiration technique, bill 67121.
The removal of the silicone oil (CPT 67121) is the proper choice, not the delivery of the focal endolaser (CPT 67039), the higher paying procedure, since the codes are bundled.
Silicone oil is removed using a three-port, 20- and 23-gauge hybrid technique via a pars plana approach. The infusion cannula and light pipe are 23 gauge; the oil removal port is 20 gauge because it is much faster to aspirate oil through a large-bore cannula than a small one.
Purpose : Silicone oil is often used as a retinal tamponade after complex retinal detachment repair. Due to long term complications from silicone oil including glaucoma, corneal decompensation, and vitreoretinopathy, it often must be removed from the eye. The optimal time for removal of silicone oil is debated.
Silicone oil is being used with increased frequency for retinal tamponade during vitreous surgery for complicated retinal detachments. Though it is now possible to reattach most detached retinas, the visual outcome of the silicone oil procedure is often disappointing.
The process of removing silicone oil following a complex retinal detachment typically occurs one of two ways: via vitrectomy; or aspiration without a vitrectomy.
Results: In 82.2% of the cases, proliferative vitreoretinopathy was responsible for recurrent retinal detachment in silicone oil-filled eyes. Reoperations without removal of the silicone oil were performed in 65.3% of the cases. Anatomical success occurred in 62.7% of the eyes, and functional success occurred in 52.5%.
Conclusions: The silicone oil should be removed no longer than 6 months after its injection, and the best timing to remove the oil is 2 to 3 months.
Silicone oils as tamponading agents were used to provide anatomical reattachment of the retina in cases of rhegmatogenous RDs, giant retinal tears, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and ocular trauma [1, 2].
Silicone oils are important tools in vitreoretinal surgery because they have the ability to displace aqueous humor from the retinal surface, maintaining the adhesion between retina and retinal pigment epithelium.
It has been used in repeat vitrectomy with good outcomes. We use heavy silicone oil as tamponade for between 3 and 6 months, but reports suggest that it can be retained for several months or years.
The duration of intraocular silicone oil tamponade ranged from 1 month to 96 months, with a mean of 13.3 months. The criteria for silicone oil removal were a complete and stable attached retina within the encircling buckle and no active proliferative process or traction on the retina.
Finally, removal of silicone oil is commonly associated with improved visual acuity because of the mitigation of refractive errors. Unexplained loss of vision in eyes following silicone oil removal has recently been described in two reports (Newsom et al 2004; Cazabon et al 2005).
The surgeon recommends vitrectomy with ERM stripping as well as removal of silicone oil. The ICD-10 code, H35.371 (puckering of macula, right eye), is used on the claim. The silicone oil is removed during the vitrectomy/membrane peel, which is reported as CPT 67041 (PPV with removal of preretinal cellular membrane), so no separate charge is made for removal of the oil.
Removing silicone oil following a complex retinal detachment typically occurs via either vitrectomy or aspiration without a vitrectomy. The two most common codes used for removal of oil, without treatment of other pathology, are 67036 and 67121. The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) manual defines these two codes as: 1 67036 – Vitrectomy, mechanical, pars plana approach 2 67121 – Removal of implanted material, posterior segment; intraocular
Silicone oil is used in cases of a chronic retinal detachment, proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR; scarring), advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy, macular holes, and other disease processes that require long-term tamponade of the retina following vitrectomy. It is injected into the eye following vitrectomy and left in the eye until ...
If the ERM stripping occurred during the 90-day global period, modifier -79 would apply because the procedure and condition are unrelated to reason for the initial procedure, and the ERM development might have occurred regardless of the oil.
If the recurrent retinal detachment develops during the 90-day global period, modifier -78 applies because the procedure and condition are related and the coding for the initial procedure was 67113.
The silicone oil is removed during the vitrectomy/membrane peel, which is reported as CPT 67041 (PPV with removal of preretinal cellular membrane), so no separate charge is made for removal of the oil.