Z48.02Encounter for removal of sutures

Z48.02 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for encounter for removal of sutures. It belongs to category Z48 (encounter for other postprocedural aftercare), block Z40-Z53 (Encounters for other specific health care) and chapter 21 (factors influencing health status and contact with health services). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within Z48.0 (encounter for attention to dressings, sutures and drains), Z48.02 is specifically for encounter for removal of sutures. Related codes cover change or removal of nonsurgical wound dressing (Z48.00), change or removal of surgical wound dressing (Z48.01) and change or removal of drains (Z48.03).

It is not a CC or MCC, so as a secondary diagnosis it doesn't change the MS-DRG severity level.

In MS-DRG v44.0, it is part of the grouping logic for DRG 951 (Other Factors Influencing Health Status, relative weight 0.5577), in MDC 23 (Factors Influencing Health Status and Other Contacts with Health Services), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

It is not acceptable as the principal diagnosis for an inpatient stay; it may be reported as a secondary diagnosis.

It is exempt from present-on-admission (POA) reporting, so no POA indicator is required.

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

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as V58.32 (encounter for removal of sutures).