Major laceration of femoral artery, left leg, sequela

This code signifies a long-term complication or residual effect stemming from a significant tear or wound to the main artery in the left thigh. It indicates that the initial injury to the femoral artery has resolved, but the patient continues to experience lasting issues directly attributable to that past trauma.

Use this code when documenting a patient presenting with ongoing symptoms or conditions, such as chronic pain, impaired circulation, or nerve damage, that are a direct consequence of a previously sustained major laceration of the left femoral artery. This code is appropriate for follow-up encounters addressing these persistent sequelae, not the initial acute injury.

• Always assign a sequela code as a secondary diagnosis, following the code for the specific residual condition.
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to the past major laceration of the left femoral artery.
• Do not use this code for the initial treatment of the acute laceration; instead, use the appropriate acute injury code.