Laceration without foreign body of unspecified ear, sequela

This code signifies a healed or residual effect of a laceration to an unspecified part of the ear, where no foreign body was involved in the original injury. It indicates that the initial acute injury has resolved, but there are ongoing consequences or complications directly attributable to that past trauma. This could include scarring, deformity, or functional impairment resulting from the original laceration.

This code is appropriate when documenting a patient presenting with a long-term sequela (e.g., scar, keloid, chronic pain, or cosmetic defect) directly resulting from a past laceration of the ear, and the specific ear (left or right) is not documented. The medical record should clearly indicate that the current condition is a residual effect of a previous ear laceration without a foreign body. Documentation should specify the nature of the sequela.

• Always ensure the documentation explicitly states the condition is a "sequela" or "late effect" of a previous ear laceration.
• Do not use this code for acute lacerations; instead, use the appropriate acute injury code.
• If the specific ear (left or right) is documented, use the more specific codes (S01.311S or S01.312S).