I77.0 vs Q27
I77.0 and Q27 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter. The distinction is congenital vs acquired.
Arteriovenous fistula, acquired
- Chapter 9
- Diseases of the circulatory system
- Section
- I70-I79
- Aneurysmal varix
- Arteriovenous aneurysm, acquired
- Fistula › arteriovenous (cutaneous)
- Varicose › aneurysm
- Varix › aneurysmal (lower limb)
- Aneurysm › arteriovenous › acquired (anastomotic) (artery) (cirsoid) (diffuse) (false) (fusiform) (multiple) (saccular)
- Aneurysm › arteriovenous › specified site NEC › acquired (anastomotic) (artery) (cirsoid) (diffuse) (false) (fusiform) (multiple) (saccular)
Other congenital malformations of peripheral vascular system
- Chapter 17
- Congenital malformations, deformations, chromosomal abnormalities, and genetic disorders
- Section
- Q20-Q28
These two codes sit in different chapters of the Tabular List, which is usually the clearest signal that they describe different underlying processes rather than different degrees of the same one.
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027