Dextrocardia

Dextrocardia is a rare congenital heart defect where the heart is located on the right side of the chest instead of the left. The heart itself is otherwise structurally normal, with its apex pointing to the right. This condition is distinct from situs inversus, where all visceral organs are mirrored.

This code is appropriate when documentation specifies the heart is positioned on the right side of the thorax, but there is no mention of a complete reversal of other abdominal or thoracic organs. It is typically diagnosed via imaging studies such as chest X-ray, echocardiogram, or CT scan. Use this code when the medical record clearly states "dextrocardia" without further specification of situs inversus.

• Do not code this with Q89.3 (Situs inversus) as per Excludes1 note.
• Ensure documentation explicitly states "dextrocardia" and clarifies the absence of situs inversus to avoid miscoding.
• If associated congenital anomalies are present, code them additionally.