0CLB7ZZ
Occlusion Parotid Duct, Right to No Qualifier with No Device, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | C Mouth and Throat |
| Operation | L Occlusion |
| Body Part | B Parotid Duct, Right |
| Approach | 7 Via Natural or Artificial Opening |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Completely closing an orifice or the lumen of a tubular body part
Procedure Overview
Occlusion procedures in the mouth and throat close off an orifice or tubular structure completely, cutting off its lumen so nothing can pass through. In this body system, that most often means closing a salivary duct, sealing a fistula between the mouth or pharynx and an adjacent structure, or blocking an abnormal opening that is causing drainage, infection, or aspiration of food and saliva into the airway.
These procedures are performed when an abnormal passage is doing harm rather than serving any useful function - for example, a chronic fistula connecting the throat to the neck skin after surgery or radiation, or a duct that keeps causing painful swelling of a salivary gland. The surgeon may use sutures, clips, an occlusive device, or tissue grafts to permanently seal the opening.
For a patient, an Occlusion procedure is generally aimed at stopping an unwanted connection or leak, not at removing the structure itself, and recovery centers on the area healing closed without reopening.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Parotid Duct, Right
Occlusion of the right parotid duct involves closing off the duct that carries saliva from the parotid gland into the mouth, most often performed to manage chronic sialorrhea (excessive drooling) in patients with neurological conditions affecting swallowing control, such as cerebral palsy or Parkinson's disease. The parotid duct, also called Stensen's duct, opens opposite the upper second molar, and ligating or otherwise blocking it redirects or reduces salivary flow from that gland while the gland itself remains in place. Because saliva production continues even after the duct is occluded, patients may experience gland swelling or discomfort until the gland adjusts, and surgeons sometimes combine this procedure with submandibular duct rerouting for a more complete reduction in drooling. Laterality is essential to document accurately, since the parotid ducts are paired structures on the right and left sides.
Approach: Via Natural or Artificial Opening
Via Natural or Artificial Opening means the instrument reaches the target site by passing through an existing body orifice, such as the mouth or urethra, or a surgically created opening like a stoma, without additional incision or scope guidance. It is distinguished from the Endoscopic variant by the absence of a visualizing scope, and from External by actually traversing into the body through that opening.
Coding & Documentation
Coders select Occlusion when documentation shows the intent was to completely close off a lumen or orifice, whether that's achieved surgically with sutures or ligation, or via a device delivered percutaneously or endoscopically. The device or approach used should be documented clearly, since it changes the seventh character. Look for language like "ligated," "clipped closed," "sutured shut," or "sealed" rather than words implying only partial narrowing.
A frequent assignment error is mixing up Occlusion with Restriction, which only partially narrows a lumen rather than closing it entirely - if the documentation says the passage is narrowed but still patent, Restriction is the correct root operation, not Occlusion. Another pitfall is coding Occlusion for a natural closure achieved as an incidental effect of another procedure, such as scarring after excision, when no distinct occlusion procedure was actually performed and documented.