K56.2 — Volvulus
K56.2 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for volvulus. It is valid for submission on a claim.
Excludes2 — not included here, but may coexist
The excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient can have both. You may code both.
- volvulus of duodenum (K31.5)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.
- Strangulation of colon or intestine
- Torsion of colon or intestine
- Twist of colon or intestine
Risk adjustment
K56.2 risk-adjusts. Under the CMS-HCC V28 model it maps to this category:
- HCC 78 Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation0.326 RAF
Coefficient shown for the Community Non-dual Aged segment. A higher HCC in the same hierarchy will suppress this one, so capturing it does not always add score.
Medicare coverage
K56.2 is named in 7 Medicare coverage policies — 7 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.
- A55937Billing and Coding: Diagnostic Colonoscopy
- A56394Billing and Coding: Colonoscopy and Sigmoidoscopy-Diagnostic
- A56421Billing and Coding: CT of the Abdomen and Pelvis
- A56456Billing and Coding: Colonoscopy/Sigmoidoscopy/Proctosigmoidoscopy
How K56.2 is indexed
Coders do not find codes by browsing the tabular list — they look them up in the alphabetic index, under the word the physician wrote. These are the index entries that lead here, so you can see which chart wordings map to K56.2.
- Volvulus(bowel) (colon) (intestine)
- Knot›intestinal, syndrome(volvulus)
- Knotting›intestine
- Strangulation, strangulated›bowel or colon
- Strangulation, strangulated›intestine(large) (small)
- Strangulation, strangulated›mesentery
- Strangulation, strangulated›omentum
- Torsion›bowel, colon or intestine
- Torsion›mesentery
- Torsion›omentum
- Twist, twisted›bowel, colon or intestine
- Twist, twisted›mesentery
Related codes at this level
Codes that share K56. If K56.2 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.
Questions about K56.2
- Is K56.2 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- Yes. K56.2 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
- Where does K56.2 sit in the tabular list?
- Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K95), in the block Other diseases of intestines (K55-K64).