S35.516A Injury of unspecified iliac vein, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM Code S35.516A: Injury of unspecified iliac vein, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM code S35.516A represents the initial encounter for an injury of an unspecified iliac vein. This code is classified under the semantic type of injury or poisoning. It is distinct from subsequent encounter and sequela variants of the same injury. A clinical case report demonstrates iliac vein injury as an iatrogenic complication during total hip arthroplasty. 1 3 4

Plain-language overview

Code S35.516A identifies an injury of an unspecified iliac vein during an initial encounter, and the concept is classified under the semantic type of injury or poisoning. 4

What this code represents

The official display label for S35.516A is injury of unspecified iliac vein, initial encounter, distinguishing it from the subsequent encounter and sequela variants of the same iliac vein injury. 3

Clinical context

A published case report details an external iliac vein injury occurring as an iatrogenic complication during a primary total hip arthroplasty in a 62-year-old female, which was managed with overlapping venous stent grafts. 1

Coding details

The S35.516A code is listed alongside S35.516D for subsequent encounters and S35.516S for sequelae, providing distinct encounter characters for different phases of care for an unspecified iliac vein injury. 3

Documentation considerations

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services includes S35.516A in an article concerning duplex scanning billing and coding, placing it near codes such as injury of left iliac vein sequela. 2

Coverage and utilization context

A clinical reference for fecal occult blood testing lists S35.516A among ICD-10-CM codes, noting that codes are categorized into covered and non-covered lists for that specific diagnostic service. 5

What the sources add

While terminology sources define the semantic type and encounter specificity of S35.516A, payer and clinical references place the code into operational contexts for diagnostic testing and illustrate a specific surgical scenario of iliac vein trauma. 1 4 5

Government coding databases list S35.516A with a yes value, whereas a Medicare billing article identifies the code by its official description within a duplex scanning coverage context. 2 3

Sources

1. Endovascular repair of external iliac vein injury caused by acetabular screw penetration during total hip arthroplasty: a case report — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
2. Article - Billing and Coding: Duplex Scanning (A57636) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
3. Browse Code Systems — vsac.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
4. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
5. 190.34 - Fecal Occult Blood Test — prismahealth.org; accessed 2026-07-25.