H53.12Transient visual loss

H53.12 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for transient visual loss. It belongs to category H53 (visual disturbances), block H53-H54 (visual disturbances and blindness) and chapter 7 (diseases of the eye and adnexa). It is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself; one of its 4 subcodes must be used instead.

Within H53.1 (subjective visual disturbances), H53.12 is specifically for transient visual loss. Related codes cover unspecified subjective visual disturbances (H53.10), day blindness (H53.11), sudden visual loss (H53.13), visual discomfort (H53.14), visual distortions of shape and size (H53.15), Psychophysical visual disturbances (H53.16) and other subjective visual disturbances (H53.19).

To report this condition, pick the subcode that matches the documentation: H53.121 (right eye), H53.122 (left eye), H53.123 (bilateral) and H53.129 (unspecified eye).

Don't report H53.12 together with the conditions in its Excludes1 note: amaurosis fugax (G45.3-) and transient retinal artery occlusion (H34.0-).

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.