2025 CPT code 65710
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Eye and Ocular Adnexa Surgery Feed
Anterior lamellar keratoplasty (corneal transplant).
Modifiers 50 (bilateral procedure), 51 (multiple procedures), and others may be applicable depending on the circumstances.
Medical necessity for ALK is established when the patient has corneal disease or injury affecting the anterior corneal layers that significantly impairs vision, causes pain, or leads to recurrent corneal erosions, and other treatments have failed or are not suitable.
The ophthalmologist performs the anterior lamellar keratoplasty, including patient preparation, anesthesia, surgical technique (e.g., creating a stromal air bubble for tissue removal), donor tissue placement, and suturing.
In simple words: This surgery replaces the damaged outer layers of the cornea (the clear front part of your eye) with healthy tissue from a donor.It only involves the front part of the cornea, leaving the back layer untouched.
Anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) is a partial-thickness corneal transplant procedure where the diseased anterior layers of the cornea (epithelium and stroma) are removed and replaced with healthy donor tissue.The inner endothelial layer remains intact.Various surgical techniques may be employed, involving the creation of a stromal air bubble to facilitate the removal of the diseased tissue. The donor tissue is then sutured into place.
Example 1: A 45-year-old patient presents with keratoconus affecting the anterior corneal layers.ALK is performed to reshape the cornea and improve vision., A 60-year-old patient with severe corneal scarring from a chemical injury undergoes ALK to replace the damaged tissue and restore corneal clarity., A 28-year-old patient with recurrent corneal erosions and significant epithelial and stromal damage undergoes ALK to prevent further erosions and improve comfort.
* Preoperative evaluation including visual acuity, corneal topography, and slit-lamp examination.* Operative report detailing surgical technique and amount of donor tissue used.* Postoperative visual acuity and slit-lamp examination findings.* Any complications encountered during or after surgery.
** The specific surgical technique used during ALK (e.g., big-bubble technique, manual dissection) may influence the overall time and complexity of the procedure.
- Revenue Code: P4A (EYE PROCEDURE - CORNEAL TRANSPLANT)
- Payment Status: Active
- Specialties:Ophthalmology
- Place of Service:Ambulatory Surgical Center, Hospital Outpatient, Office