Congenital hiatus hernia

This code represents a birth defect where a portion of the stomach protrudes through an abnormally large opening in the diaphragm, specifically the esophageal hiatus, into the chest cavity. This condition is present at birth due to incomplete or improper development of the diaphragm.

Use this code when documentation clearly states a diagnosis of a congenital hiatus hernia. This typically applies to infants or children diagnosed with this specific anatomical anomaly. Supporting documentation would include imaging reports (e.g., barium swallow, chest X-ray) and physician notes confirming the congenital nature of the diaphragmatic defect involving the esophageal hiatus.

• Differentiate carefully from acquired hiatus hernias, which are coded differently.
• Ensure the documentation explicitly states "congenital" to justify using this code.
• Do not code with Q79.0 (congenital diaphragmatic hernia) as per the Excludes1 note, as these are distinct conditions.