Unspecified injury of thoracic aorta, sequela

This code signifies a long-term or late effect resulting from an unspecified injury to the thoracic aorta. It indicates that the initial acute injury has resolved, but the patient is now experiencing a residual condition or complication directly attributable to that past trauma.

Apply this code when documentation clearly links a current sequela to a previous, unspecified injury of the thoracic aorta. This is appropriate for conditions such as chronic aortic dissection, pseudoaneurysm, or other persistent structural changes that developed as a consequence of the original trauma, and the specific nature of the initial injury is not documented.

• Always sequence the sequela code first, followed by a code for the specific residual condition.
• Ensure the medical record explicitly states that the current condition is a "sequela" or "late effect" of a prior thoracic aortic injury.
• Avoid using this code for acute injuries; those require codes from the acute injury section.