K56 — Paralytic ileus and intestinal obstruction without hernia
Is K56 billable?
No — K56 is a non-billable header code. K56 groups more specific codes and cannot be submitted on a claim. A valid ICD-10-CM code must be reported at the highest level of specificity available in its branch. Select one of the 16 billable codes beneath K56.
Billable codes under this header
- K56.0Paralytic ileus
- K56.1Intussusception
- K56.2Volvulus
- K56.3Gallstone ileus
- K56.7Ileus, unspecified
- K56.41Fecal impaction
- K56.49Other impaction of intestine
- K56.50Intestinal adhesions [bands], unspecified as to partial versus complete obstruction
- K56.51Intestinal adhesions [bands], with partial obstruction
- K56.52Intestinal adhesions [bands] with complete obstruction
- K56.600Partial intestinal obstruction, unspecified as to cause
- K56.601Complete intestinal obstruction, unspecified as to cause
- K56.609Unspecified intestinal obstruction, unspecified as to partial versus complete obstruction
- K56.690Other partial intestinal obstruction
- K56.691Other complete intestinal obstruction
- K56.699Other intestinal obstruction unspecified as to partial versus complete obstruction
K56 at a glance
| Code | K56 |
|---|---|
| Description | Paralytic ileus and intestinal obstruction without hernia |
| Billable | No — header code |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with K56 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes2 — not included here
The conditions below are not part of K56, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, K56 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- stenosis of anus or rectum (K62.4)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 11
The conditions below are not part of K56, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, K56 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
What codes fall under K56? (8)
How long has K56 existed?
K56 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.
Which codes are confused with K56?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with K56 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.