Erectile dysfunction decisions — 2011

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate condition, recurrent bladder infections, and erectile dysfunction. The evidence did not establish a current disability or link to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's disability rating for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, retinopathy, and nephropathy was reduced from 40% to 20%, effective November 1, 2007. The decision also granted a higher rating for the period prior to November 1, 2007.

The Board found that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to active service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and thus no evaluation was assigned for erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's initial claim for service-connected diabetes mellitus type II was granted, but the Board finds that a rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left ear hearing loss, psychiatric disability other than PTSD, cervical radiculopathy, onychomycosis of the feet and toes, a fungus infection of the first finger, and erectile dysfunction. The Veteran's annual income was found to be excessive for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's penile deformity was aggravated by his erectile dysfunction. The claim will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical opinions regarding his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records from the VA Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina and requesting Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The Veteran's claim for TDIU will also be addressed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is a significant factor in his erectile dysfunction and hypertension, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED), finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his service-connected prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous VA examination.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to be caused by medication prescribed for his service-connected PTSD, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 7, 2008, for the award of special monthly compensation for loss of use of a creative organ. The claim was without legal merit as there were no prior communications indicating intent to apply for service connection before May 7, 2008.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, hypertension (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus), bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus), erectile dysfunction (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus or hypogonadism), and hypogonadism (claimed as secondary to Agent Orange exposure) have all been denied. The Veteran's depression is already service-connected through his PTSD, and hypertension does not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disorders, including peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal issues. The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus (DM), right below-knee amputation associated with cellulitis and gangrene, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction, are found to render him unemployable. The RO is directed to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his current employability due to these disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma was denied in 1973, but new evidence has not been received to reopen the claim. The Veteran is granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD and no higher since it meets criteria for such a rating. Other claims have also been addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claim for a total rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).