Summary & Overview
Oculomotor Nerve: ICD-10-PCS Procedure Code Group Overview
International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) codes under the group ICD-10 PCS 008H describe cutting into the oculomotor nerve to separate or transect the nerve without draining fluids or gases. Accurate ICD-10-PCS coding for this group is significant for inpatient reimbursement because it ensures appropriate procedure capture, affects DRG assignment, and supports compliance with billing and clinical documentation requirements.
Oculomotor Nerve Overview
Procedures in this group involve surgical cutting or transection of the oculomotor nerve, a cranial nerve within the central nervous system that controls most extraocular muscles and eyelid elevation. These procedures target the nervous system and adjacent orbital structures to separate or transect the nerve for therapeutic or diagnostic reasons. Accurate coding captures the specific procedure performed, supports correct inpatient recordkeeping, and affects procedure grouping and reimbursement.
Typical Clinical Scenarios
- An adult patient presents to the emergency department after a high-speed motor vehicle collision with a traumatic midbrain contusion and acute isolated oculomotor nerve transection causing ptosis, ophthalmoplegia, and diplopia. The severity of neurologic deficit and need for urgent neurosurgical intervention prompt inpatient admission for exploration and surgical transection of irreparably damaged nerve fibers to control pain or prepare for nerve repair. Codes:
008H0ZZ,008H3ZZ - A middle-aged patient with chronic, progressive oculomotor nerve compression from a known cavernous sinus meningioma is admitted for a planned elective neurosurgical procedure to perform a targeted neurotomy to relieve intractable ocular pain and correct disabling diplopia after conservative therapy failed. The elective inpatient setting allows for intraoperative neuromonitoring and postoperative observation following deliberate cutting/separation of affected nerve fibers. Codes:
008H3ZZ,008H4ZZ - A patient with prior cranial base surgery and persistent painful neuroma of the oculomotor nerve develops worsening neuropathic pain and aberrant regeneration; they are readmitted for revision surgery to excise the neuroma and resect scarred nerve segments to reduce symptoms and facilitate later reconstruction. The procedure involves cutting and transecting pathologic portions of the nerve during a revision inpatient operation. Codes:
008H4ZZ,008H0ZZ