Given the complexity of coding for surgical procedures, it can be easy to make a mistake, according to the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society.
Three ASC coding errors to avoid:
1. Retina and vitreous surgery. There are two common errors when coding for retina and vitreous surgery — coding removal of silicone gel as a separate, second procedure, and using the CPT code 66852 than 66850 when removing lens fragments from the eye.
2. Glaucoma surgery. Removing minimally invasive glaucoma devices during surgery, repositioning devices and using minimally invasive glaucoma devices as a second stent in the same procedure are three coding mistakes that can occur around glaucoma surgery.
3. Not distinguishing between functional and cosmetic surgery. Even when a surgeon is performing both cosmetic and functional surgery on the same patient, it's imperative that a distinction is made between the two.