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

This code describes an inguinal hernia that has reappeared on one side of the body after previous repair, and is not currently complicated by bowel obstruction or tissue death. It indicates a history of prior surgical correction for the hernia.

Use this code when documentation clearly states a recurrent unilateral inguinal hernia without any signs or symptoms of obstruction (e.g., nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain) or gangrene (e.g., fever, severe pain, discolored skin). The physician's notes should explicitly mention the hernia's recurrence.

• Differentiate carefully between initial (K40.90) and recurrent (K40.91) hernias; documentation must specify recurrence.
• Always check for documentation of obstruction or gangrene, as these would lead to different codes (e.g., K40.01, K40.21).
• Laterality (right or left) is not specified in this code, so it applies to either side.