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H44.759 ICD-10-CM Code: Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, unspecified eye

Billing Status: YES. This is a valid, specific, and billable ICD-10-CM reference.

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
1 inclusion term · 1 Excludes1 · 3 Excludes2 · 1 use-additional code

Inpatient Payment Groups (MS-DRG)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

MS-DRGs this diagnosis helps define, as principal or secondary, per the CMS ICD-10-CM/PCS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v44, Appendix B.

  • MS-DRG 124 — OTHER DISORDERS OF THE EYE WITH MCC OR THROMBOLYTIC AGENT (MDC 02)
  • MS-DRG 125 — OTHER DISORDERS OF THE EYE WITHOUT MCC (MDC 02)

A diagnosis appearing in a group's logic does not by itself determine the DRG assigned to a stay; the grouper uses the full claim.

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for H44.759 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Notes without a marker are published on H44.759 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Includes

Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.

  • disorders affecting multiple structures of eye

Source: inherited from H44

Excludes1 — Not Coded Here

Conditions generally not reported together with this code (Excludes1) -- an error unless the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Source: inherited from H44.7

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Source: inherited from H44.7

Use Additional Code

Supplementary codes the tabular list directs you to add.

Source: inherited from H44.7

Coder workflow for H44.759

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code H44.759

  1. Unspecified does not mean incorrect. When the record gives no greater specificity, H44.759 may be the appropriate code. Check the record for detail that supports a more specific sibling. An unspecified code is for records that do not provide the detail a more specific code needs; a query, not an assumption, is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

    ReviewH44.751, H44.752, H44.753

    See the relationships section · Guide: Other vs unspecified (NEC vs NOS) →

  2. Laterality is coded in this family. Confirm the side documented — right, left, or bilateral — and select the matching code (this page’s code: unspecified). The unspecified-side code applies only when the record states no side. Laterality is assigned from the documented side; where a bilateral code exists and both sides are documented, it is used instead of two unilateral codes (Guidelines I.B.13).

    ReviewH44.751 · right, H44.752 · left

    Guide: Laterality coding →

  3. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with H44.759. Excludes1 conditions are not reported together with this code unless the record shows they are unrelated (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

    See the official tabular notes

Choose the right path

  1. Does the record document the detail a more specific sibling code needs?
    Yes → Review the specific siblings in this subcategory.
    No → Continue — H44.759 is appropriate when the documentation goes no further.

    ReviewH44.751, H44.752, H44.753

  2. Does the documentation support a condition named in H44.759’s Excludes1 note?
    Yes → Do not simply proceed: review the excluded code. Both are reported only when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated.
    No → Continue.

    ReviewS05

  3. Is the side documented?
    Yes → Select the code for the documented side (or the bilateral code when both sides are documented and one exists).
    No → Use the unspecified-side code only when the record states no side; a query is the alternative.

    ReviewH44.751 · right, H44.752 · left

Consider H44.759. Then work the Use Additional Code note, and confirm the code is valid for the date of service in the Verify section.

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement
Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).
Laterality
Right, left or bilateral as documented; unspecified only when the record states no side (Guidelines I.B.13).
The conditions the Use Additional Code note names
Reported with this code when documented; a conditional instruction (“if applicable”, “if known”) applies only when the record supports it.
Any detail beyond this code’s title
What the record states that a more specific sibling code would capture — or its absence, which itself supports the unspecified code.

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes1 — check before selecting H44.759(1 note)

    Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with H44.759: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

    CompareS05

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.a

  • Excludes2 — not part of H44.759(3 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in H44.759. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareH02.81, H05.5, H44.6

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.b

  • Use Additional Code — after identifying H44.759(1 note)

    Coding workflow: Check whether the documentation supports the additional code(s) the note names, and report them with H44.759 when it does. Where the instruction is conditional (“if applicable”, “if known”), it applies only when the record documents the condition.

    ReviewZ18.12

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.13

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Documentation: The provider documents the condition in the terms of this code’s title and records no further detail.

Coding question: Is a more specific sibling code supportable?

Path: Review the specific siblings in this subcategory and what each requires the record to state.

Reason: A more specific code needs documentation of the distinguishing element; without it the unspecified code is appropriate, and a provider query is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

ReviewH44.751, H44.752, H44.753

Documentation: Both the condition H44.759 describes and a condition named in its Excludes1 note are documented for the same encounter.

Coding question: Can both codes be reported?

Path: Review the Excludes1 note and the excluded code, and look for a provider statement on whether the two conditions are related.

Reason: Excludes1 means the two are not coded together; the exception is when the record shows the conditions are unrelated to each other (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

ReviewS05

Documentation: The record documents the condition on one side only.

Coding question: Which code in this family applies?

Path: Select the sibling code for the documented side.

Reason: Laterality is assigned from the documented side; the unspecified-side code is for records that state no side (Guidelines I.B.13).

ReviewH44.751 · right, H44.752 · left

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Don’t confuse H44.759 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of H44.759 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

  • S05— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of current intraocular foreign body moves the case to S05; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: H44.759 vs S05 →

  • H44.751— Laterality relationship (Review)

    Same condition; these differ only in which side is documented.

    The same condition on the other side; the documented side decides, and a bilateral code, where one exists, replaces the pair when both sides are documented.

    What moves you there: A documented right side moves the case to H44.751.

    Full comparison: H44.759 vs H44.751 →

  • H44.752— Laterality relationship (Review)

    Same condition; these differ only in which side is documented.

    The same condition on the other side; the documented side decides, and a bilateral code, where one exists, replaces the pair when both sides are documented.

    What moves you there: A documented left side moves the case to H44.752.

    Full comparison: H44.759 vs H44.752 →

  • H02.81— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of retained foreign body in eyelid adds H02.81; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: H44.759 vs H02.81 →

  • H05.5— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of retained (old) foreign body following penetrating wound of orbit adds H05.5; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: H44.759 vs H05.5 →

  • H44.6— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of retained (old) intraocular foreign body, magnetic adds H44.6; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: H44.759 vs H44.6 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Code Overview

Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, unspecified eye is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (H44.759).

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Decision Points

The directives on this code's own record, as a pre-claim checklist.

  1. 1 Use Additional Code instruction — report the named additional code(s) when the documentation supports them. See the Use Additional Code notes
  2. 1 Excludes1 entry — codes named there are generally not reported together with this code (Guidelines I.A.12.a). See the Excludes1 notes
  3. 3 Excludes2 entries — those conditions are not part of this code and may be reported additionally when documented. See the Excludes2 notes

Checklist rows are derived from this code's own official directives; the wording of each check is MedCoder editorial. The official notes themselves are in the sections each row links to.

Verify Before Coding

  • No Medicare Code Editor or MS-DRG Definitions Manual restrictions apply to this code.

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name H44.759 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 1 Excludes1 note: H02.81 — Retained foreign body in eyelid (via H44.7.-).

These codes’ tabular lists mark this diagnosis as mutually exclusive — not reported together unless the conditions are documented as unrelated.

Referenced by 3 Excludes2 notes across 2 chapters: H05.5 — Retained (old) foreign body following penetrating wound of orbit (via H44.7.-), H44.6 — Retained (old) intraocular foreign body, magnetic (via H44.7.-), T15 — Foreign body on external eye (via H44.7.-).

These codes’ tabular lists name this diagnosis as distinct — both may be reported when both are documented.

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2027)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2027 MS-DRG: not on the CMS CC/MCC list — as a secondary diagnosis this code does not change MS-DRG severity for that release.

Named in the grouper logic of 2 MS-DRGs: DRG 124 (MDC 02), DRG 125 (MDC 02).

From the CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendices B and C). Actual DRG assignment depends on the complete claim.

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):EYE012 — Other specified eye disorders (default).

Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Related Codes

Same condition, opposite side

Same category and title, differing only in which side of the body is affected.

H44.751 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, right eye (right)Compare H44.759 vs H44.751 →, H44.752 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, left eye (left)Compare H44.759 vs H44.752 →

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Other specified eye disorders).

H44.732 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in lens, left eye, H44.733 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in lens, bilateral, H44.739 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in lens, unspecified eye, H44.741 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in posterior wall of globe, right eye, H44.742 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in posterior wall of globe, left eye, H44.743 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in posterior wall of globe, bilateral, H44.749 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in posterior wall of globe, unspecified eye, H44.751 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, right eye, H44.752 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, left eye, H44.753 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, bilateral, H44.791 — Retained (old) intraocular foreign body, nonmagnetic, in other or multiple sites, right eye, H44.792 — Retained (old) intraocular foreign body, nonmagnetic, in other or multiple sites, left eye, H44.793 — Retained (old) intraocular foreign body, nonmagnetic, in other or multiple sites, bilateral, H44.799 — Retained (old) intraocular foreign body, nonmagnetic, in other or multiple sites, unspecified eye, H44.811 — Hemophthalmos, right eye, H44.812 — Hemophthalmos, left eye, H44.813 — Hemophthalmos, bilateral, H44.819 — Hemophthalmos, unspecified eye, H51.0 — Palsy (spasm) of conjugate gaze, H51.11 — Convergence insufficiency, +260 more

Same Index main term, other category

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries files this code under the main term “Foreign body”; these codes share that main term but sit in a different category of the Tabular List.

H02.811 — Retained foreign body in right upper eyelid (retained, eyelid, right, upper), H02.812 — Retained foreign body in right lower eyelid (retained, eyelid, right, lower), H02.813 — Retained foreign body in right eye, unspecified eyelid (retained, eyelid, right), H02.814 — Retained foreign body in left upper eyelid (retained, eyelid, left, upper), H02.815 — Retained foreign body in left lower eyelid (retained, eyelid, left, lower), H02.816 — Retained foreign body in left eye, unspecified eyelid (retained, eyelid, left), H02.819 — Retained foreign body in unspecified eye, unspecified eyelid (retained, eyelid), H05.5 — Retained (old) foreign body following penetrating wound of orbit (orbit, old, retained), L92.3 — Foreign body granuloma of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (granuloma, skin), M79.5 — Residual foreign body in soft tissue (in, soft tissue), R09.A2 — Foreign body sensation, throat (feeling of, in throat), S00.05 — Superficial foreign body of scalp (superficial, without open wound, scalp), S00.25 — Superficial foreign body of eyelid and periocular area (superficial, without open wound, eyelid), S00.35 — Superficial foreign body of nose (superficial, without open wound, nose), S00.45 — Superficial foreign body of ear (superficial, without open wound, ear), S00.551 — Superficial foreign body of lip (superficial, without open wound, lip), S00.552 — Superficial foreign body of oral cavity (superficial, without open wound, gum), S00.85 — Superficial foreign body of other part of head (superficial, without open wound, jaw), S00.95 — Superficial foreign body of unspecified part of head (superficial, without open wound, head), S05.4 — Penetrating wound of orbit with or without foreign body (orbit), +166 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of H44.759 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run H44.759 with these 4 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Clinical classification (CCSR)

MS-DRG Grouper

MDC crossing

  • MDC 02 — Diseases and Disorders of the Eye[MDC crossing]: “Diseases and Disorders of the Eye — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs. 1,200 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2027

Nearest codes (40)

Change history

  • FY2016 — In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption [Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2016

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data
CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Inpatient payment groups Official source data
CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (incl. Appendix B diagnosis index, Appendix C CC/MCC list, Appendix E procedure index) and IPPS Final Rule tables — v44 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data
CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder structured relationship
Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears
Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder explanation
Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder structured relationship · MedCoder explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "H44.759 — Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, unspecified eye." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/h44.759-retained-nonmagnetic-old-foreign-body-in-vitreous-body-unspecified-eye

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Retained (nonmagnetic) (old) foreign body in vitreous body, unspecified eye

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027, and none are recorded for this code. Note changes are tracked from FY2027 only.

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to H44.759 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the H44 family