2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code K46.1Unspecified abdominal hernia with gangrene
ICD-10-CM Codes›K00–K95›K40-K46›K46
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- MCC — Major Complication or Comorbidity
- Not Chronic
K46.1 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified abdominal hernia with gangrene. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 393 through 395, 791, 793. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a major complication or comorbidity (MCC) and places an inpatient stay in the highest severity level of its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 48 closely related codes. Coders also document this condition as hernia of abdominal wall with gangrene. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Abdominal hernia and Gangrene.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Hernia of abdominal wall with gangrene
- Hernia of anterior abdominal wall with gangrene
- Hernia of anterior abdominal wall with obstruction AND gangrene
- Hernia, with gangrene
- Internal hernia of abdomen with gangrene
- Recurrent hernia of anterior abdominal wall with gangrene
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to K46.1: its own notes plus those printed at K46, block K40-K46, and Chapter 11. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Includes
Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.
- enterocele
- epiplocele
- hernia NOS
- interstitial hernia
- intestinal hernia
- intra-abdominal hernia
- acquired hernia
- congenital [except diaphragmatic or hiatus] hernia
- recurrent hernia
Applicable To
Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.
- Any condition listed under K46 specified as gangrenous
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)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- 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)
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- Hernia with both gangrene and obstruction is classified to hernia with gangrene.
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name K46.1, its category, or a range that includes it.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
gangrenous K46.1
gangrenous K46.1
gangrenous K46.1
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Gangrene
Gangrene is the death of tissues in your body. It happens when a part of your body loses its blood supply. Gangrene can happen on the surface of the body, such as on the skin, or inside the body, in muscles or organs. Causes include:
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert K46.1 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About K46.1Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for unspecified abdominal hernia with gangrene?
The ICD-10-CM code for unspecified abdominal hernia with gangrene is K46.1 (sometimes written as K461). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is K46.1 (Unspecified abdominal hernia) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified abdominal hernia with gangrene on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does K46.1 group to?
When unspecified abdominal hernia with gangrene is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 793, 791, 394, 395, 393, with relative weights from 0.6379 to 4.2192 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is K46.1 a CC or MCC?
CMS lists K46.1 as an MCC (major complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it places the inpatient stay in the highest-weighted DRG of its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 48 closely related codes in its exclusion list.
Can K46.1 be reported with N81.5?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at K46, which applies to K46.1, lists "vaginal enterocele (N81.5)". 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).
