Other non-diabetic proliferative retinopathy, bilateral

This code signifies the presence of abnormal blood vessel growth (proliferation) in the retina of both eyes, which is not caused by diabetes. This neovascularization can lead to serious vision impairment, including vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, and neovascular glaucoma.

Apply this code when documentation explicitly states bilateral proliferative retinopathy that is confirmed to be non-diabetic in origin. This typically occurs in conditions such as sickle cell retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity (in older individuals), or other less common retinal vascular disorders.

• Always confirm the non-diabetic etiology; if diabetes is present and causing the retinopathy, a diabetic retinopathy code is more appropriate.
• Distinguish between proliferative and non-proliferative forms; this code is specific to the proliferative stage.
• Ensure documentation specifies "bilateral" involvement; if only one eye is affected, a laterality-specific code should be used.