Bilateral inguinal hernia, w/o obst or gangrene, recurrent

This code describes a condition where an inguinal hernia is present on both sides of the groin, has recurred after previous repair, and is not currently complicated by obstruction of the bowel or tissue death. It indicates a chronic or re-emergent bilateral defect in the abdominal wall allowing protrusion of abdominal contents.

Use this code when documentation explicitly states a patient has a recurrent inguinal hernia affecting both the left and right sides, and there is no mention of incarceration, strangulation, or gangrene. This is typically seen in patients presenting for evaluation or repair of a previously treated bilateral inguinal hernia that has reappeared.

• Ensure documentation specifies "recurrent" and "bilateral" to accurately use this code.
• Distinguish carefully from initial or unilateral inguinal hernias, which have different code assignments.
• Always check for any mention of obstruction (e.g., incarcerated) or gangrene, as these significantly alter the code selection.