Summary & Overview
CPT 31080: Frontal Sinus Obliteration via External Eyebrow Incision
CPT code 31080 denotes an external frontal sinus obliteration procedure in which the frontal sinus is surgically accessed via an incision above and across the eyebrows and then packed to render the sinus nonfunctional. This code captures a definitive surgical approach used for refractory frontal sinus disease, complex frontal sinus fractures, or when endoscopic approaches are unsuitable. Nationally, accurate coding for this procedure matters for quality reporting, appropriate payment, and surgical outcome tracking because it reflects a major open craniofacial intervention rather than endoscopic sinus surgery. Key payers that commonly reimburse this service include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find clinical context about the procedure and its typical operative setting, guidance on which payers are commonly relevant in coverage discussions, and a concise framing useful for payers, surgical practices, and billing teams. The publication outlines benchmarks where available and notes that detailed payer-specific coverage policies, claim adjudication rules, and ICD-10 linkage are addressed separately. Data not available in the input is explicitly noted elsewhere in the full publication.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 31080 describes a surgical procedure in which an incision is made above one eyebrow and extended across to the opposite eyebrow to access the frontal sinus. The provider obliterates the frontal sinus by packing it with material so the sinus becomes nonfunctional.
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Service type: Surgical frontal sinus obliteration
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Typical site of service: Operating room or ambulatory surgical center for otolaryngology or craniofacial surgery
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 48-year-old patient presents with chronic frontal sinus disease refractory to medical therapy, recurrent frontal sinus infections, or a severely diseased frontal sinus following trauma. After evaluation with history, nasal endoscopy, and CT imaging demonstrating an obliterative indication (such as a nonfunctioning frontal sinus with inaccessible ostium or persistent mucocele), the surgical team plans an external frontal sinus obliteration via a transcutaneous eyebrow incision. The typical workflow includes preoperative consent and imaging review, general endotracheal anesthesia administered by an anesthesiologist, marking of a supraorbital eyebrow incision extending to the contralateral eyebrow as needed to expose the frontal sinus, removal of the mucosal lining of the sinus, packing the sinus cavity with obliterative material (e.g., fat, muscle, or oxidized regenerated cellulose) to render it nonfunctional, closure of soft tissues and skin, and routine postoperative monitoring. Typical operative personnel includes an otolaryngologist (or facial plastic surgeon), scrub nurse, circulating nurse, and anesthesia provider. Postoperative care includes short inpatient observation or same-day discharge depending on comorbidities, antibiotics as indicated, wound care, and follow-up to assess healing and resolution of sinus disease.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
11 | Normal, uncomplicated service | Use when the procedure is performed as planned without unusual circumstances |