09968ZXDrainage of Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic, Diagnostic

Medical and Surgical›Ear, Nose, Sinus›Drainage
  • Billable / Specific Code
ICD-10-PCS 09968ZX
CMS Source: FY 2026 ICD-10-PCS dataset. Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026.FacebookXLinkedInPrint

09968ZX is a billable ICD-10-PCS procedure code for Drainage of Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic, Diagnostic. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The root operation Drainage involves taking or letting out fluids and/or gases from a body part.

Code Identity

ICD-10-PCS Code
09968ZX
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Drainage of Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic, Diagnostic
Parent Code
099
Short Description
Drainage of Left Middle Ear, Endo, Diagn

PCS Table Breakdown

Each ICD-10-PCS code is built from seven characters, each an axis of the procedure. Hover or tap the icons for the official CMS definitions.

PositionDesignationValueMeaning
1Section0Medical and Surgical
2Body System9Ear, Nose, Sinus
3Operation9Drainage
4BodyPart6Middle Ear, Left
5Approach8Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic
6DeviceZNo Device
7QualifierXDiagnostic

Convert to ICD-9-PCS

Closest ICD-9-PCS equivalents for 09968ZX under the General Equivalence Mappings.

20.32
Approximate match.

Code History

Replaces previously assigned code(s):
  • 09960ZX — Drainage of Left Middle Ear, Open Approach, Diagnostic

Similar Procedure Codes

Questions About 09968ZX

Is 09968ZX a billable code?

Yes. 09968ZX is a complete seven-character ICD-10-PCS code, specific enough to report Drainage of Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic, Diagnostic on inpatient claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What do the characters in 09968ZX mean?

09968ZX breaks down character by character: the 1st character 0 is the Section (Medical and Surgical); the 2nd character 9 is the Body System (Ear, Nose, Sinus); the 3rd character 9 is the Operation (Drainage); the 4th character 6 is the BodyPart (Middle Ear, Left); the 5th character 8 is the Approach (Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic); the 6th character Z is the Device (No Device); the 7th character X is the Qualifier (Diagnostic).

What is the ICD-9-PCS equivalent of 09968ZX?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, Drainage of Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic, Diagnostic crosswalks to ICD-9-PCS 20.32. The mapping is approximate, so confirm it fits the documentation.