2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H53.121Transient visual loss, right eye
ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H53-H54›H53
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- CC — Complication or Comorbidity
- Not Chronic
H53.121 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for transient visual loss, right eye. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 123. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) and moves an inpatient stay to a higher severity level within its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 13 closely related codes. Coders also document this condition as transient visual loss. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Blindness and vision defects.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Transient visual loss
- Transient visual loss of right eye
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H53.121: its own notes plus those printed at H53.12, H53.1, and Chapter 7. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Excludes2
Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- diabetes mellitus related eye conditions (E09.3-, E10.3-, E11.3-, E13.3-)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury (trauma) of eye and orbit (S05.-)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
- syphilis related eye disorders (A50.01, A50.3-, A51.43, A52.71)
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- Use an external cause code following the code for the eye condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the eye condition
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Visual Disturbance
an interference to normal eyesight.
Patient EducationClinical
Vision Impairment and Blindness
Vision impairment is the loss of vision. It includes blindness, which means that you have lost all or most of your sight. It also includes low vision, which means you have some vision, but the vision loss makes it hard to do everyday activities. You may have trouble reading, shopping, cooking, writing, and watching TV.
The full article covers:
- What is vision impairment?
- What causes vision impairment?
- How is vision impairment diagnosed?
- What are the types of low vision?
- What are the treatments for low vision?
- How can I make the most of my remaining sight?
- Can vision impairment be prevented?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert H53.121 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About H53.121Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for transient visual loss, right eye?
The ICD-10-CM code for transient visual loss, right eye is H53.121 (sometimes written as H53121). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is H53.121 (Transient visual loss) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report transient visual loss, right eye on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does H53.121 group to?
When transient visual loss, right eye is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 123 (neurological Eye Disorders), which carries a relative weight of 0.8218. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is H53.121 a CC or MCC?
CMS lists H53.121 as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it moves the inpatient stay to a higher-weighted DRG within its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 13 closely related codes in its exclusion list.
Can H53.121 be reported with a code from G45.3?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at H53.12, which applies to H53.121, lists "amaurosis fugax (G45.3-)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
