Major laceration of liver, subsequent encounter

This code signifies a significant tear or cut to the liver that is being addressed in a follow-up visit. It indicates that the initial injury has already been treated, and the patient is now receiving care for ongoing management, complications, or recovery related to that major liver laceration.

Apply this code when a patient presents for a subsequent visit following an initial diagnosis and treatment of a severe liver laceration. This includes appointments for wound checks, monitoring for delayed complications like infection or bleeding, or follow-up imaging to assess healing. It is appropriate for any encounter after the initial definitive treatment of the injury.

• Ensure documentation clearly indicates a "subsequent encounter" for the liver laceration, not the initial treatment.
• Pair with external cause codes (V, W, X, Y codes) to describe the circumstances of the injury, if not already documented in a previous encounter.
• Do not use for the initial treatment of the liver laceration; a code without the "D" seventh character would be appropriate for the initial encounter.