J38 vs J95.5
J38 and J95.5 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 official note, declared on J38
postprocedural subglottic stenosis (J95.5)
J38
Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified
Not billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
J95.5
Postprocedural subglottic stenosis
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J95
Indexed under
- Complication › surgical procedure › subglottic stenosis (s) (from) (of)
- Stenosis, stenotic › subglottic › postprocedural (cicatricial)
- Complication › respiratory system › postoperative › subglottic stenosis (s) (from) (of)
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