APR 26, 2017
Removal of Corneal Filaments
Question: Our surgeon removed corneal filaments at the slit lamp with forceps. Is CPT code 65222 Removal of foreign body, external eye; corneal, with slit lamp appropriate?
Updated Oct. 9, 2018
Answer: Typically, payers view filaments as something that can almost be wiped out of the eye with a cotton swab. CPT code 65222 implies that the foreign body is a material such as wood or metal, not something the body produces. However, if when the filaments are made up of corneal epithelial cells mixed with mucus, submit CPT code 65435 Removal of corneal epithelium.
Learn more about CPT code 65222 and 65735 in the Ophthalmic Coding Coach.