Final answer:
Irregular astigmatism is an uneven curvature of the eye causing distorted vision, which may be diagnosed and coded using ICD-10 standards. It can be detected with specific charts and corrected with cylindrical lenses or via LASIK surgery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Irregular astigmatism refers to an optical condition where the cornea or lens of the eye has asymmetrical curvature, causing light rays entering the eye to refract irregularly. This non-uniform refraction results in distorted or blurred vision, with images appearing elongated. Bilateral indicates that the condition affects both eyes. The diagnosis code in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for irregular astigmatism of both eyes has not been explicitly provided in your question but can be found in the ICD-10 coding manual under vision disorders.
To identify astigmatism, a chart, such as depicted in Figure 26.8, can be used; if some lines appear darker or clearer than others when looking at the central cross, this could indicate the presence of astigmatism. Astigmatism can be corrected with glasses or contacts that have a cylindrical correction to compensate for the irregularity in the eye. In contrast, normal corrections for short- or farsightedness are spherical, which means they are uniform along all axes.
Additionally, LASIK surgery is another option for correcting astigmatism, as it reshapes the cornea to provide more uniform vision. More than a million Americans undergo this procedure annually, with over 90% of patients achieving normal distant vision post-surgery.