2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code M79.5Residual foreign body in soft tissue
ICD-10-CM Codes›M00–M99›M70-M79›M79
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
M79.5 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for residual foreign body in soft tissue. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 564 through 566. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified connective tissue disease.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Foreign body in middle ear
- Foreign body in skin wound
- Foreign body in subcutaneous tissue
- Foreign body left in wound
- Metal foreign body in trunk
- Multiple retained foreign bodies in soft tissue
- Old foreign body in middle ear
- Open injury with foreign body in wound
- Residual foreign body in soft tissue
- Retained foreign body in multiple soft tissue sites
- Retained foreign body of middle ear
- Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction due to foreign body
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Type 1 Excludes
- foreign body granuloma of skin and subcutaneous tissue L92.3
- foreign body granuloma of soft tissue M60.2
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- in
- soft tissue (residual) - M79.5
- soft tissue (residual) - M79.5
- retained (old) (nonmagnetic) (in)
- soft tissue - M79.5
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Foreign body
- in
- soft tissue (residual)
- Foreign body
- old or residual
- soft tissue (residual)
- Foreign body
- retained (old) (nonmagnetic) (in)
- soft tissue
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Foreign Bodies
If you've ever gotten a splinter or had sand in your eye, you've had experience with a foreign body. A foreign body is something that is stuck inside you but isn't supposed to be there. You may inhale or swallow a foreign body, or you may get one from an injury to almost any part of your body.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert M79.5 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About M79.5Overview
Is M79.5 a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report residual foreign body in soft tissue on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What MS-DRG does M79.5 group to?
When residual foreign body in soft tissue is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 564, 565, 566, with relative weights from 0.7493 to 1.5436 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of M79.5?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, residual foreign body in soft tissue converts to ICD-9-CM 729.6 (old FB in soft tissue). 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.
