Encounter for plastic and reconstructive surgery following medical procedure or healed injury (Z42)

The ICD-10 code Z42 and its subcategories are used to document encounters for plastic and reconstructive surgery after a prior medical procedure or healed injury. This coding specifically identifies visits related to restoring form or function following earlier treatment or trauma.

The code Z42 broadly covers plastic and reconstructive surgeries performed once an injury or medical procedure has healed. For example, Z42.1 is the specific ICD-10 code for breast reconstruction following a mastectomy, helping healthcare providers and coders distinguish this common post-surgical reconstruction. Additionally, Z42.8 is used for other types of reconstructive surgeries that don’t fit into the breast reconstruction category but still occur after a previous treatment or healing phase. These codes ensure precise identification of the purpose of surgical encounters focused on reconstruction, aiding clinicians in tracking the patient’s procedural history accurately and specialists in coding encounters for insurance and medical records with clear differentiation by surgery type.