Erectile dysfunction decisions — 2007

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board finds that the veteran's PTSD warrants an earlier effective date to June 2, 1999, and grants his claim for a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD as of April 28, 2003. The service connection claim for erectile dysfunction remains pending.

The veteran seeks service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, proteinuria with decrease in renal function, chronic fatigue syndrome, and erectile dysfunction, all claimed as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected diabetes.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of depressive disorder, PTSD, or any other service-connected disabilities. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal of the claims for increased ratings and TDIU.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches and lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease are being remanded to the RO due to procedural issues. The erectile dysfunction claim is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to the veteran's service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The issue of special monthly compensation for loss of use of a creative organ is remanded.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The RO found no new and material evidence to reopen the previously denied claim of osteomyelitis of the right humerus, and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for numbness and paralysis of the arms and legs as well as a small hole in the esophagus.,The veteran's left leg sciatica and radiculopathy claim was granted with a 20% disability rating, but he appealed this decision.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as erectile dysfunction, finding no evidence of these conditions.

The veteran withdrew his appeal in its entirety prior to the Board's decision.

The veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral foot pain, right and left carpal tunnel syndrome, stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal reflux disease, erectile dysfunction, chronic sinusitis, lipomatous lesion of the left shoulder, benign prostatic hypertrophy, tinnitus, depressive disorder, and hypertension, have been evaluated. The veteran does not meet the criteria for a combined 100 percent schedular rating under the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. Therefore, his claim for permanent and total disability rating for VA non-service-connected pension purposes has been denied.

The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic retinopathy was denied, but he is granted an initial noncompensable evaluation for erectile dysfunction.

The veteran's service-connected erectile dysfunction, which is currently rated as noncompensable due to its multifactorial etiology including diabetes mellitus, substantially approximates loss of use of a creative organ. This condition entitles him to special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(k).

The Board found that it is not factually ascertainable that the veteran's service-connected disabilities caused individual unemployability prior to November 19, 2002. Therefore, an earlier effective date for a TDIU rating is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected conditions have been denied. The effective dates are not specified.

The veteran is seeking an initial disability rating beyond 40 percent for adenocarcinoma of the prostate status post prostatectomy with erectile dysfunction from February 28, 2003 to September 29, 2004. The RO has granted a 100 percent rating effective from September 29, 2004 and is now remanding the case for further development.

The Board finds that the veteran's diabetes mellitus does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent due to its current manifestations, which do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to service exposure to noise, warranting service connection.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates of service connection for diabetic neuropathy and erectile dysfunction were denied as the earliest date entitlement arose is February 18, 2004.,The veteran was granted an effective date of December 6, 2004 for his claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for compensation under Section 1151 for atrophy of his right testicle and erectile dysfunction, both of which were caused by VA surgery in December 1999. The Board found that while the surgeries resulted in complications such as testicular atrophy, these were not due to carelessness or negligence on the part of VA.