Cement embolism of pulmonary artery with acute cor pulmonale

This code signifies a pulmonary embolism specifically caused by cement, leading to the acute development of right-sided heart failure. The cement typically originates from a medical procedure, such as vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, where bone cement extravasates into the venous system. The resulting obstruction of pulmonary arteries acutely increases pulmonary vascular resistance, causing the right ventricle to fail.

This code is appropriate when documentation clearly states a pulmonary embolism due to cement, along with evidence of acute cor pulmonale. This typically presents with sudden onset dyspnea, chest pain, and signs of right heart strain (e.g., elevated jugular venous pressure, peripheral edema, right ventricular dysfunction on echocardiogram) following a procedure involving bone cement.

• Ensure documentation explicitly links the cement embolism to acute cor pulmonale; otherwise, a code for cement embolism without cor pulmonale (I26.09) or acute cor pulmonale due to other causes would be more appropriate.
• Always sequence the underlying cause of the cement embolism (e.g., complication of internal orthopedic prosthetic device, implant, or graft) as an additional diagnosis if known and relevant.
• Do not use this code if the cor pulmonale is chronic or pre-existing; this code specifically denotes an acute presentation.