O66.5 Attempted application of vacuum extractor and forceps

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026. Exempt from present-on-admission (POA) reporting.

Applicable to

• Attempted application of vacuum or forceps, with subsequent delivery by forceps or cesarean delivery

MS-DRG index

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

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 660.71 Failed forceps or vacuum extractor, unspecified, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition (approximate)
• 669.51 Forceps or vacuum extractor delivery without mention of indication, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition (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 O66.5

Back-references to O66

• Type 1 Excludes: O33 Maternal care for disproportion ("disproportion with obstructed labor (O65-O66)")

Diagnosis Index entries for O66.5

• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › cesarean (for) › failed › forceps
• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › cesarean (for) › failed › vacuum extraction
• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › cesarean (for) › failed › ventouse
• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › complicated › by › attempted vacuum extraction and forceps
• Delivery (childbirth) (labor) › forceps, low following failed vacuum extraction
• Failure, failed › forceps NOS (with subsequent cesarean delivery)
• Failure, failed › vacuum extraction NOS (with subsequent cesarean delivery)
• Failure, failed › ventouse NOS (with subsequent cesarean delivery)

Nearby codes

• O66.2 Obstructed labor due to unusually large fetus
• O66.3 Obstructed labor due to other abnormalities of fetus
• O66.4 Failed trial of labor
• O66.40 Failed trial of labor, unspecified
• O66.41 Failed attempted vaginal birth after previous cesarean delivery
• O66.5 Attempted application of vacuum extractor and forceps (this code)
• O66.6 Obstructed labor due to other multiple fetuses
• O66.8 Other specified obstructed labor
• O66.9 Obstructed labor, unspecified