Presence of artificial hip joint, bilateral

This code indicates that a patient has undergone total hip arthroplasty on both the left and right sides. It signifies the permanent presence of prosthetic hip components replacing the natural hip joints bilaterally. This condition is typically the result of surgical intervention to alleviate pain and improve function due to severe arthritis, trauma, or other degenerative conditions.

Utilize this code when documenting a patient's history of bilateral hip replacement, regardless of the reason for the original surgery. It is appropriate for follow-up visits, medication management, or any encounter where the presence of these implants is relevant to the patient's care. This code should be assigned as a secondary diagnosis when the artificial joints are not the primary reason for the current encounter.

• Always sequence this code after the primary diagnosis for the current encounter.
• Do not use this code for a patient who has only had a unilateral hip replacement; specific codes exist for single-sided implants.
• Ensure documentation clearly states "bilateral" or specifies both left and right hip replacements to support the use of this code.