Intraoperative cerebvasc infarction during cardiac surgery

This code signifies a new onset of brain tissue death due to a lack of blood flow (infarction) that occurs specifically during a cardiac surgical procedure. It indicates a stroke event directly attributable to the intraoperative period of heart surgery.

Use this code when documentation clearly states a cerebrovascular infarction was diagnosed and occurred while the patient was undergoing cardiac surgery. Supporting documentation would include operative reports, neurologist consultations, and imaging studies (e.g., MRI, CT scan) confirming the stroke and its timing.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly links the cerebrovascular event to the intraoperative period of cardiac surgery.
• Do not use this code for cerebrovascular events occurring postoperatively or preoperatively; separate codes exist for those scenarios.
• Sequence this code after the primary cardiac surgery code (if applicable) and any codes for the underlying cardiac condition.