2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code K91.2Postsurgical malabsorption, not elsewhere classified

ICD-10-CM Codes›K00–K95›K90-K95›K91

ICD-10-CM K91.2
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

K91.2 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for postsurgical malabsorption, not elsewhere classified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 391 through 392. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Postprocedural or postoperative digestive system complication.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
K91.2
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Postsurgical malabsorption, not elsewhere classified
Short Description
Postsurgical malabsorption, not elsewhere classified
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
K91
Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of digestive system, not elsewhere classified

Code Classification

ChapterK00–K95Diseases of the digestive system
SectionK90-K95Other diseases of the digestive system
CategoryK91Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of digestive system, not elsewhere classified
This CodeK91.2Postsurgical malabsorption, not elsewhere classified

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acquired short bowel syndrome
  • Blind loop syndrome
  • Fatty stool
  • Malnutrition
  • Malnutrition following gastrointestinal surgery
  • Post-gastrointestinal tract surgery malnutrition
  • Postoperative blind loop syndrome
  • Postprocedural intestinal steatorrhea
  • Postprocedural steatorrhea
  • Post-surgical malabsorption
  • Protein losing enteropathy due to and following cardiac procedure
  • Protein-losing enteropathy
  • Short bowel syndrome

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Postsurgical blind loop syndrome

Type 1 Excludes

  • malabsorption osteomalacia in adults M83.2
  • malabsorption osteoporosis, postsurgical M80.8 M81.8

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Complication(s) (from) (of)
      • gastrointestinal
        • postoperative
          • malabsorption NEC
    • Complication(s) (from) (of)
      • surgical procedure (on)
        • malabsorption (postsurgical) NEC
    • Disorder(of)
      • intestine, intestinal
        • carbohydrate absorption NEC
          • postoperative
    • Malabsorption
      • postgastrectomy
    • Malabsorption
      • postsurgical
    • Malabsorption
      • syndrome
        • postsurgical
    • Malnutrition
      • following gastrointestinal surgery
    • Syndrome
      • blind loop
        • postsurgical
    • Syndrome
      • malabsorption
        • postsurgical
    • Tachyalimentation

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR DIG024
Postprocedural or postoperative digestive system complication
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Short Bowel Syndrome

    a malabsorption syndrome resulting from extensive operative resection of the small intestine, the absorptive region of the gastrointestinal tract.

  • Child Nutrition Disorders

    disorders caused by nutritional imbalance, either overnutrition or undernutrition, occurring in children ages 2 to 12 years.

  • Fetal Nutrition Disorders

    disorders caused by nutritional imbalance, either overnutrition or undernutrition, in the fetus in utero.

  • Infant Nutrition Disorders

    disorders caused by nutritional imbalance, either overnutrition or undernutrition, occurring in infants ages 1 month to 24 months.

  • Malnutrition

    an imbalanced nutritional status resulting from insufficient intake of nutrients to meet normal physiological requirement.

  • Protein-Energy Malnutrition

    the lack of sufficient energy or protein to meet the body's metabolic demands, as a result of either an inadequate dietary intake of protein, intake of poor quality dietary protein, increased demands due to disease, or increased nutrient losses.

  • Severe Acute Malnutrition

    acute form of malnutrition which usually affects children, characterized by a very low weight for height (below -3z scores of the median world health organization standards), visible severe wasting, or occurrence of nutritional edema. it can be a direct or indirect cause of fatality in children suffering from diarrhea and pneumonia. do not confuse with starvation, a condition in which the body is not getting enough food, usually for extended periods of time.

  • Blind Loop Syndrome

    a malabsorption syndrome that is associated with a blind loop in the upper small intestine that is characterized by the lack of peristaltic movement, stasis of intestinal contents, and the overgrowth of bacteria. such bacterial overgrowth interferes with bile salts action, fatty acids processing, microvilli integrity, and the absorption of nutrients such as vitamin b12 and folic acid.

  • Fetus

    the unborn young of a viviparous mammal, in the postembryonic period, after the major structures have been outlined. in humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception until birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo, mammalian.

  • Short Bowel Syndrome

    malabsorption that results from the removal of a large segment of the small intestine or, less frequently, from the complete dysfunction of a large portion of the small intestine. signs and symptoms include diarrhea, steatorrhea, and weight loss.

Patient EducationClinical

After Surgery

After any operation, you'll have some side effects. There is usually some pain with surgery. There may also be swelling and soreness around the area that the surgeon cut. Your surgeon can tell you which side effects to expect.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert K91.2 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
579.3 Intest postop nonabsorb
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About K91.2Overview

Is K91.2 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report postsurgical malabsorption, not elsewhere classified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does K91.2 group to?

When postsurgical malabsorption, not elsewhere classified is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 391, 392, with relative weights from 0.7796 to 1.2683 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of K91.2?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, postsurgical malabsorption, not elsewhere classified converts to ICD-9-CM 579.3 (intest postop nonabsorb). The mapping is a direct match.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.