Postproc cerebvasc infarction following cardiac surgery

This code signifies a new onset of brain tissue death due to an interruption of blood supply (infarction) that occurs as a direct complication after a patient has undergone any type of cardiac surgical procedure. This includes conditions like ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) that manifest post-operatively.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates a cerebrovascular infarction developed following cardiac surgery. This typically requires physician documentation specifying the causal link between the surgery and the stroke, along with diagnostic confirmation of the infarction (e.g., MRI, CT scan).

• Always sequence this code as a secondary diagnosis, following the code for the specific type of cerebrovascular infarction (e.g., I63.x for ischemic stroke).
• Ensure the medical record explicitly states the infarction occurred after cardiac surgery and is considered a complication.
• Do not use this code for cerebrovascular events that occurred prior to or were unrelated to the cardiac surgery.