CPT 67900 Brow Repair Reimbursement & Policy | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 67900: Repair of Drooping Eyebrow (Brow Ptosis)

CPT code 67900 designates surgical repair of a drooping eyebrow (brow ptosis) due to muscle weakness or paralysis, performed to improve cosmetic appearance or to remove an obstruction to vision. The procedure typically involves an incision above the eyebrow, below the scalp, or in the mid-forehead to elevate and secure the brow. This code matters nationally because brow ptosis procedures intersect functional and cosmetic indications, influencing coverage decisions, prior authorization practices, and site-of-service determinations across payers.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of how the procedure is defined clinically, typical settings where it is performed, and the payer landscape relevant to coverage and billing. The publication summarizes common billing and coding considerations, identifies typical places of service and service type, and highlights what clinicians and billing staff should verify when preparing claims.

The report also outlines benchmarks and policy updates where available and provides clinical context about indications for brow repair procedures. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable; readers should consult individual payer policies and official coding guidance for claim-specific decisions.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 67900brow ptosis repaireyelid surgeryophthalmic plastic surgeryambulatory surgerycosmetic-functional surgerysurgical codingophthalmology

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 67900 describes a surgical procedure to repair a drooping eyebrow (brow ptosis) caused by muscle weakness or paralysis. The procedure is performed to improve cosmetic appearance or to remove an obstruction to a patient’s vision. The surgeon makes an incision immediately above the eyebrow, just below the scalp, or in the middle of the forehead to elevate and secure the brow.

Service type: Surgical procedure, eyelid/brow reconstruction
Typical site of service: Outpatient surgical suite or ambulatory surgery center; may also be performed in a hospital outpatient department

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old patient presents with unilateral drooping of the left eyebrow and upper eyelid secondary to facial nerve palsy following a cerebrovascular accident six months prior. The drooping brow causes functional visual field obstruction at the superior visual axis and cosmetic concern. Conservative measures, including botulinum toxin and physical therapy, were attempted without durable improvement. After ophthalmologic and oculoplastic evaluation, the plan is for a surgical brow repair via an incision immediately above the eyebrow to suspend and/or reposition the brow to restore the superior visual field and improve symmetry.

Preoperative workflow includes history and physical, focused cranial nerve and eyelid/brow examination, visual field assessment, informed consent outlining risks (hematoma, infection, persistent asymmetry, scarring, need for revision), and medication reconciliation. On the day of service the procedure is performed in an outpatient minor procedure suite or ambulatory surgery center under local anesthesia with sedation or monitored anesthesia care. Postoperative instructions address wound care, activity restrictions, analgesia, and follow-up for suture removal and functional assessment. Documentation includes operative note with approach (incision location), technique (brow suspension/levator manipulation), laterality, estimated blood loss, anesthesia type, and any complications.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component

CPT 67903: Levator Muscle Repair for Ptosis (Internal Approach)

CPT-67915-THERMOCAUTERIZATION-LOWER-EYELID-ECTROPION-REPAIR

CPT 67915: Thermocauterization Repair of Lower Eyelid Ectropion

CPT-67924-EXTENSIVE-REPAIR-ENTROPION-LOWER-EYELID

CPT 67924: Extensive Repair of Lower Eyelid Entropion

CPT-67911-EYELID-RETRACTION-CORRECTION

CPT 67911: Surgical Correction of Eyelid Retraction

CPT-67916-TARSAL-WEDGE-EXCISION-ECTROPION-REPAIR

CPT 67916: Tarsal Wedge Excision for Ectropion Repair

CPT-67917-ECTROPION-REPAIR-EXTENSIVE-LOWER-EYELID

CPT 67917: Extensive Repair of Lower Eyelid Ectropion

CPT-67908-FASANELLA-SERVAT-PTOSIS-REPAIR-OCULOPLASTIC-SURGERY

CPT 67908: Eyelid Ptosis Repair (Fasanella–Servat Procedure)

CPT-67906-PTOSIS-REPAIR-SUPERIOR-RECTUS-SUSPENSION-WITH-GRAFT

CPT 67906: Ptosis Repair with Superior Rectus Suspension and Graft

CPT-67912-LID-LOAD-FOR-LAGOPHTHALMOS-UPPER-EYELID

CPT 67912: Upper Eyelid Lid Load for Lagophthalmos Correction

CPT-67921-ENTROPION-REPAIR-LOWER-EYELID-SUTURE

CPT 67921: Repair of Lower Eyelid Entropion with Sutures

Showing 1–10 of 17

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Otolaryngology (ENT)	Otolaryngologists with facial plastic training commonly perform periorbital/brow procedures.
207K00000X	Plastic Surgery	Plastic surgeons and facial plastic specialists perform brow repair for functional and cosmetic indications.
207W00000X	Ophthalmology	Oculoplastic surgeons (ophthalmology subspecialty) commonly perform brow and eyelid reconstructive procedures.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`G51.0`	Bell’s palsy	Facial nerve palsy causing brow and eyelid weakness leading to brow ptosis and functional visual obstruction.
`G51.9`	Disorder of facial nerve, unspecified	Facial nerve dysfunction resulting in brow droop where specific etiology is not specified.
`I63.9`	Cerebral infarction, unspecified	Stroke-related facial weakness can produce brow asymmetry and ptosis requiring repair for function.
`H02.8`	Other specified disorders of eyelid	Includes mechanical or paralytic eyelid and brow disorders treated with surgical repair.
`H02.4`	Blepharoptosis (acquired)	Ptosis affecting the upper eyelid and sometimes brow position; related procedures may address brow position to improve visual field.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`67800`	Repair of brow ptosis (supraciliary, subbrow or forehead incisions) — limited	Performed for minor brow lift or ptosis; may be an alternative or component when less extensive repair is indicated.
`67901`	Repair of brow ptosis, midline forehead incision	Alternative approach when the incision is placed in the mid-forehead rather than immediately above the brow.
`68040`	Incision and drainage, external (e.g., eyelid)	May be performed if postoperative hematoma or localized infection requires drainage.
`12034`	Repair, intermediate, wounds of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips; 2.5 cm to 7.5 cm	May be used for closure of concomitant soft tissue lacerations or excisions adjacent to the brow during the same session.
`15732`	Muscle, myocutaneous or fasciocutaneous flap; trunk, arms or legs; single pedicle	Less commonly used but relevant if soft tissue reconstruction with flap is required for complex defects involving the brow/forehead.

OpenPayer