09N68ZZRelease Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic
- Billable / Specific Code
09N68ZZ is a billable ICD-10-PCS procedure code for Release Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRGs 143, 144, 145. The root operation Release involves freeing a body part from an abnormal physical constraint by cutting or by the use of force. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this procedure falls under ENT procedures, NEC.
Code Identity
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.
| Position | Designation | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Section | 0 | Medical and Surgical |
| 2 | Body System | 9 | Ear, Nose, Sinus |
| 3 | Operation | N | Release |
| 4 | BodyPart | 6 | Middle Ear, Left |
| 5 | Approach | 8 | Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic |
| 6 | Device | Z | No Device |
| 7 | Qualifier | Z | No Qualifier |
In the ICD-10-PCS Alphabetic Index
These FY 2027 ICD-10-PCS Alphabetic Index entries lead to this code:
To code release of the left middle ear, open the FY 2027 ICD-10-PCS Alphabetic Index at Release, then the subterms Ear, Middle, Left. The index leads to table 09N, where the approach, device and qualifier values shown in the breakdown above complete the seven-character code 09N68ZZ.
Clinical Classification (CCSR)
AHRQ groups this procedure code into these clinical categories.
Code History
- 09N60ZZ — Release Left Middle Ear, Open Approach
Similar Procedure Codes
Questions About 09N68ZZ
Is 09N68ZZ a billable code?
Yes. This is a complete seven-character ICD-10-PCS code, specific enough to report Release Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic on inpatient claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What do the characters in 09N68ZZ mean?
The code 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 N is the Operation (Release); 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 Z is the Qualifier (No Qualifier).
What MS-DRG does 09N68ZZ group to?
On an inpatient stay, Release Left Middle Ear, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic maps to MS-DRGs 143, 144, 145, with relative weights from 1.2335 to 3.8500. The MS-DRG sets the fixed Medicare payment for the stay.
