ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

08TP0ZZ

Resection Upper Eyelid, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body System8 Eye
OperationT Resection
Body PartP Upper Eyelid, Left
Approach0 Open
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

Upper Eyelid, Left

The left upper eyelid mirrors its right-sided counterpart in structure - skin, orbicularis oculi, tarsus, and levator - and functions to shield the cornea and regulate light exposure through blinking, making resection of it a step typically driven by tumor removal, severe cicatricial deformity, or trauma reconstruction where a segment of the lid cannot be salvaged. Because the upper lid carries the levator mechanism responsible for elevation, any resection risks altering lid position and closure, so the extent and location of tissue taken are important documentation details distinguishing this from simpler destruction or repair procedures. Coders should confirm that the entire thickness of a defined lid portion was cut out rather than merely a superficial lesion, since resection implies complete removal of that anatomical segment rather than partial tissue reduction.

Approach: Open

Open approach means the surgeon cuts through skin, mucous membrane, or other tissue layers to physically expose the target site to view before performing the procedure. It gives direct visualization and hands-on access, distinguishing it from Percutaneous approaches where instruments pass through a small puncture without exposing the site. Open is typical for procedures needing wide access, such as most laparotomies.

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.