Z48.81UpcomingCategory · further specificity required

Encounter for surgical aftercare following surgery on specified body systems

Code-level instructions

Excludes 1

aftercare for injury- code the injury with 7th character D
aftercare following surgery for neoplasm (Z48.3)

Z48 · Inherited instructions

Excludes 1

encounter for follow-up examination after completed treatment (Z08-Z09)
encounter for aftercare following injury - code to Injury, by site, with appropriate 7th character for subsequent encounter

Excludes 2 · 5

Z48.81

Excludes 2

aftercare following organ transplant (Z48.2-)
orthopedic aftercare (Z47.-)

Z40-Z53 · Encounters for other specific health care (Z40-Z53)

Excludes 2

follow-up examination for medical surveillance after treatment (Z08-Z09)

Z48 · Encounter for other postprocedural aftercare

Excludes 2

encounter for attention to artificial openings (Z43.-)
encounter for fitting and adjustment of prosthetic and other devices (Z44-Z46)

More specific codes

Claims & coverage

When ICD-10-CM is required

For US diagnosis claims covered by HIPAA, ICD-10-CM is required from October 1, 2015.

Use the service date for outpatient/professional claims and the discharge date for hospital inpatient claims. Earlier encounters use ICD-9-CM; each individual code must also be valid for the applicable date.

Official coding guidelines → · CMS ↗

First observed · 2015-10-01

Code history

Latest recorded change · FY2018

ChangedUnchanged

FY2018

Effective from 2017-10-01

Inherited rules changed

Encounter for surgical aftercare following surgery on specified body systems

Category — select a more specific code

CDC/NCHS · FY2018

All editions (19)

All editions	Effective from	Code history
FY2016	2015-10-01	First observed
FY2017	2016-10-01	No tabular change
FY2018	2017-10-01	Inherited rules changed
FY2019	2018-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020	2019-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020 · April	2020-04-01	No tabular change
FY2021	2020-10-01	No tabular change
FY2021 · 01-01	2021-01-01	No tabular change
FY2022	2021-10-01	No tabular change
FY2022 · 04-01	2022-04-01	No tabular change
FY2023	2022-10-01	No tabular change
FY2023 · 04-01	2023-04-01	No tabular change
FY2024	2023-10-01	No tabular change
FY2024 · 04-01	2024-04-01	No tabular change
FY2025	2024-10-01	No tabular change
FY2025 · 04-01	2025-04-01	No tabular change
FY2026	2025-10-01	No tabular change
FY2026 · April	2026-04-01	No tabular change
FY2027	2026-10-01	No tabular change

Code-level instructions

Inclusion terms

These codes identify the body system requiring aftercare. They are for use in conjunction with other aftercare codes to fully explain the aftercare encounter. The condition treated should also be coded if still present.

Excludes 1

aftercare for injury- code the injury with 7th character D
aftercare following surgery for neoplasm (Z48.3)

Excludes 2

aftercare following organ transplant (Z48.2-)
orthopedic aftercare (Z47.-)

Inherited instructions

Chapters 21 · Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99)

Note

Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00-Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways:
(a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury.
(b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury.

Z40-Z53 · Encounters for other specific health care (Z40-Z53)

Inclusion terms

Categories Z40-Z53 are intended for use to indicate a reason for care. They may be used for patients who have already been treated for a disease or injury, but who are receiving aftercare or prophylactic care, or care to consolidate the treatment, or to deal with a residual state

Excludes 2

follow-up examination for medical surveillance after treatment (Z08-Z09)

Z48 · Encounter for other postprocedural aftercare

Excludes 1

encounter for follow-up examination after completed treatment (Z08-Z09)
encounter for aftercare following injury - code to Injury, by site, with appropriate 7th character for subsequent encounter

Excludes 2

encounter for attention to artificial openings (Z43.-)
encounter for fitting and adjustment of prosthetic and other devices (Z44-Z46)

More specific codes

Related codes

Other entries in the same category; these are not automatic substitutes.

Code	Description	Category · further specificity required
Z48.89	Encounter for other specified surgical aftercare	Billable / specific

Official titles and instructions are preserved in their source language. Official sources ↗