ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

08TD3ZZ

Resection Iris, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, Percutaneous Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body System8 Eye
OperationT Resection
Body PartD Iris, Left
Approach3 Percutaneous
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Cutting out or off, without replacement, all of a body part

Procedure Overview

Resection procedures in the eye involve cutting out an entire body part without replacing it, most notably enucleation of the globe for conditions such as intraocular tumors, severe trauma, or a blind and painful eye, and evisceration or excision of other complete ocular structures like the lacrimal gland. These are definitive, irreversible procedures reserved for situations where a structure is diseased beyond salvage or poses an ongoing risk, such as malignancy or infection, that outweighs any benefit of preserving it.

Because Resection removes an entire body part rather than a portion of it, these procedures carry significant functional and cosmetic consequences, and they are typically followed by reconstructive or prosthetic planning as a separate consideration. The decision to resect is made only after other treatment options have been exhausted or are not viable given the severity of the underlying condition.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Iris, Left

In the left eye, the iris is the colored, muscular ring that adjusts pupillary aperture and helps control glare and depth of focus by regulating light entry. Resection of iris tissue, commonly termed iridectomy, is performed to relieve pupillary block in angle-closure glaucoma, to excise a suspicious or confirmed iris tumor, or to remove tissue damaged by penetrating trauma or severe uveitis. The iris's rich vascularity and thin architecture make bleeding control a key technical consideration during excision, and removing even a small sector can leave a permanent pupillary irregularity or increased light sensitivity that may later warrant an iris prosthesis. Accurate documentation should specify whether the resection was a limited peripheral iridectomy or a more extensive sector removal, since the scope directly affects postoperative visual and cosmetic outcomes.

Approach: Percutaneous

Percutaneous describes entry by needle or instrument puncture through the skin or mucous membrane to reach the site of the procedure, without cutting the tissue open or using a visualizing scope. It differs from Open in that the site itself is never exposed, and from Percutaneous Endoscopic in that no endoscope is used to see internal structures. Common examples include needle biopsies and injections.

Coding & Documentation

Coders assign Resection when the documentation confirms complete removal of an entire named body part, such as the whole eyeball in enucleation or the entire lacrimal gland, distinguishing it from partial excision procedures that would be coded as Excision instead. The operative note must clearly state that the entire structure was removed, not merely a lesion or portion of it, and coders need to identify the precise qualifying body part being resected.

A common error is applying Resection to biopsy or partial tumor excision cases where only a lesion or segment of tissue was removed, which actually falls under Excision; another is confusing enucleation, evisceration, and exenteration, three distinct eye removal procedures with different anatomic scope that require careful reading of the operative report to code correctly.

Commonly Confused With

ExcisionResection is frequently confused with Excision, since both involve cutting tissue out, but Excision applies to removal of only a portion of a body part while Resection requires removal of the entire structure.
RepositionIt is also distinguished from Reposition, since strabismus surgery colloquially called muscle "resection" does not meet the PCS definition of Resection because the muscle remains attached at a new site rather than being entirely removed.