O70.2 vs O70.3
O70.2 (Third degree perineal laceration during delivery) compared with O70.3 (Fourth degree perineal laceration during delivery), 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. O70.2 carries an Excludes1 note covering O70.3: “perineal laceration involving anal or rectal mucosa (O70.3)”
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
| O70.2Third degree perineal laceration during delivery | O70.3Fourth degree perineal laceration during delivery | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Billable |
| Classification | O00-O9A — Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium (O00-O9A) | O00-O9A — Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium (O00-O9A) |
| Definition | Third degree perineal laceration during delivery is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (O70.2). | Fourth degree perineal laceration during delivery is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (O70.3). |
| Includes | episiotomy extended by laceration Perineal laceration, rupture or tear during delivery as in O70.1, also involving anal sphincter Perineal laceration, rupture or tear during delivery as in O70.1, also involving rectovaginal septum Perineal laceration, rupture or tear during delivery as in O70.1, also involving sphincter NOS | episiotomy extended by laceration Perineal laceration, rupture or tear during delivery as in O70.2, also involving anal mucosa Perineal laceration, rupture or tear during delivery as in O70.2, also involving rectal mucosa |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources