Major laceration of superior vena cava, sequela

This code signifies a significant tear or cut in the superior vena cava, a large vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the upper body to the heart, occurring as a long-term complication or late effect of an initial injury. It indicates that the acute phase of the laceration has passed, and the patient is now experiencing residual problems or conditions directly attributable to that past injury.

Use this code when documenting conditions such as chronic venous insufficiency, persistent strictures, or other long-term sequelae directly resulting from a previously sustained major laceration of the superior vena cava. This applies to follow-up encounters where the primary reason for the visit is to address these lasting effects, not the initial acute injury.

• Always use this code with an external cause code (V00-Y99) to identify the cause of the original injury, if known and applicable.
• Ensure documentation clearly states the condition is a "sequela" or "late effect" of a prior superior vena cava laceration.
• Do not use this code for the initial treatment of an acute superior vena cava laceration; use the acute injury code instead.