Flat anterior chamber hypotony of eye, bilateral

This code signifies a condition where the anterior chamber of both eyes is abnormally shallow or collapsed due to low intraocular pressure (hypotony). This can lead to contact between the iris and the corneal endothelium, potentially causing corneal decompensation or peripheral anterior synechiae.

Use this code when documentation explicitly states bilateral flat anterior chamber with hypotony. This typically occurs post-surgically (e.g., after glaucoma surgery or cataract extraction) or due to trauma, leading to aqueous humor leakage and subsequent low intraocular pressure. Supporting documentation should include intraocular pressure readings confirming hypotony and slit lamp examination findings describing the flat anterior chamber.

• Ensure documentation specifies "bilateral" involvement; otherwise, use the appropriate unilateral codes for the right (H44.411) or left (H44.412) eye.
• Always code the underlying cause of the hypotony (e.g., post-procedural complication, trauma) as a primary diagnosis if known and applicable, with this code as a secondary diagnosis.
• Distinguish from other causes of a shallow anterior chamber that are not due to hypotony, such as pupillary block glaucoma, which would be coded differently.