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Compare/K55.1 vs K56

K55.1 vs K56

K55.1 (Chronic vascular disorders of intestine) compared with K56 (Paralytic ileus and intestinal obstruction without hernia), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.

Can these codes be reported together?

No — do not report together. K56 carries an Excludes1 note covering K55.1: “ischemic stricture of intestine (K55.1)”

Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Side by side

K55.1Chronic vascular disorders of intestineK56Paralytic ileus and intestinal obstruction without hernia
Billing statusBillableNon-billable header

Report instead: K56.0, K56.1, K56.2, K56.3, K56.41

ClassificationK00-K95 — Diseases of the Digestive System (K00-K95)K00-K95 — Diseases of the Digestive System (K00-K95)
DefinitionChronic vascular disorders of intestine is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (K55.1).Paralytic ileus and intestinal obstruction without hernia is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (K56).
Includes
Chronic ischemic colitis
Chronic ischemic enteritis
Chronic ischemic enterocolitis
Ischemic stricture of intestine

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources