H59.019 Keratopathy (bullous aphakic) following cataract surgery, unspecified eye

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026. Acts as a Complication or Comorbidity (CC) as a secondary diagnosis.

Applies from H59 Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of eye and adnexa, not elsewhere classified

Excludes1 (never code together)

• mechanical complication of intraocular lens (T85.2)
• mechanical complication of other ocular prosthetic devices, implants and grafts (T85.3)
• pseudophakia (Z96.1)
• secondary cataracts (H26.4-)

Applies from H59.01 Keratopathy (bullous aphakic) following cataract surgery

Applicable to

• Vitreal corneal syndrome
• Vitreous (touch) syndrome

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 919-921 in MDC 21.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 997.99 Complications affecting other specified body systems, not elsewhere classified (approximate)

Medicare Code Edits (MCE v43.1 (April 2026))

• Unspecified code (laterality): Unspecified codes for which a more specific code identifying laterality (right, left, bilateral) exists within the same code family.

Code annotations containing back-references to H59.019

Back-references to H59.0

• Type 1 Excludes: H43.0 Vitreous prolapse ("vitreous syndrome following cataract surgery (H59.0-)")

Back-references to H59

• Type 2 Excludes: T81 Complications of procedures, not elsewhere classified ("intraoperative and postprocedural complications of specific body system (D78.-, E36.-, E89.-, G97.3-, G97.4, H59.3-, H59.-, H95.2-, H95.3, I97.4-, I97.5, J95, K91.-, L76.-, M96.-, N99.-)")

Nearby codes

• H59.0 Disorders of the eye following cataract surgery
• H59.01 Keratopathy (bullous aphakic) following cataract surgery
• H59.011 Keratopathy (bullous aphakic) following cataract surgery, right eye
• H59.012 Keratopathy (bullous aphakic) following cataract surgery, left eye
• H59.013 Keratopathy (bullous aphakic) following cataract surgery, bilateral
• H59.019 Keratopathy (bullous aphakic) following cataract surgery, unspecified eye (this code)
• H59.02 Cataract (lens) fragments in eye following cataract surgery
• H59.021 Cataract (lens) fragments in eye following cataract surgery, right eye
• H59.022 Cataract (lens) fragments in eye following cataract surgery, left eye
• H59.023 Cataract (lens) fragments in eye following cataract surgery, bilateral
• H59.029 Cataract (lens) fragments in eye following cataract surgery, unspecified eye