Radiotherapy for age-related macular degeneration
Summary
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on radiotherapy for age-related macular degeneration.
This guidance was considered for reassessment in January 2011. It was concluded that NICE will not be updating this guidance as investigations have suggested that radiotherapy for age-related macular degeneration has been superseded by other techniques.
Description
Age-related macular degeneration is the commonest cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Radiotherapy can be used to destroy new vessels in the wet form of maacular degeneration. It is usually given as a day treatment. The beam of radiotherapy is angled to avoid damage to the optic nerve and structures in the other eye.
OPCS4.6 Code(s):
C82.3 External beam radiotherapy to lesion of retina NEC
Includes: Radiotherapy to lesion of retina NEC
X65.4 Delivery of a fraction of external beam radiotherapy NEC
Y91.- External beam radiotherapy
In addition the ICD-10 code H35.3 Degeneration of macula and posterior pole would be recorded.
The NHS Classifications Service of NHS Connecting for Health is the central definitive source for clinical coding guidance and determines the coding standards associated with the classifications (OPCS-4 and ICD-10) to be used across the NHS. The NHS Classifications Service and NICE work collaboratively to ensure the most appropriate classification codes are provided. www.connectingforhealth.co.uk/clinicalcoding
Details
Surgical procedures
Contact details:
Interventional Procedures Programme
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
MidCity Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6NA
Links:
This page was last updated: 07 February 2011
