O26.873 Cervical shortening, third trimester

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

Applies from O26.87 Cervical shortening

Excludes1 (never code together)

• encounter for suspected cervical shortening ruled out (Z03.75)

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 817-819 in MDC 14.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 649.71 Cervical shortening, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition (approximate)
• 649.73 Cervical shortening, antepartum condition or complication (approximate)

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

• Maternity diagnoses (age 9 through 64): Age conflict edit. These diagnoses are clinically expected only in patients age 9 through 64.

Code annotations containing back-references to O26.873

Back-references to O26.8

• Type 2 Excludes: O99.35 Diseases of the nervous system complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium ("pregnancy related peripheral neuritis (O26.8-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R53.8 Other malaise and fatigue ("exhaustion and fatigue due to pregnancy (O26.8-)")

Back-references to O26

• Type 1 Excludes: Z03.7 Encounter for suspected maternal and fetal conditions ruled out ("known or suspected fetal anomalies affecting management of mother, not ruled out (O26.-, O35.-, O36.-, O40.-, O41.-)")

Nearby codes

• O26.853 Spotting complicating pregnancy, third trimester
• O26.859 Spotting complicating pregnancy, unspecified trimester
• O26.86 Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP)
• O26.87 Cervical shortening
• O26.872 Cervical shortening, second trimester
• O26.873 Cervical shortening, third trimester (this code)
• O26.879 Cervical shortening, unspecified trimester
• O26.89 Other specified pregnancy related conditions
• O26.891 Other specified pregnancy related conditions, first trimester
• O26.892 Other specified pregnancy related conditions, second trimester
• O26.893 Other specified pregnancy related conditions, third trimester