Erectile dysfunction decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple musculoskeletal conditions, do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that the Veteran has voluntarily left his teaching job due to anger issues related to his PTSD, and he is currently working as an Uber driver. Therefore, TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issue of a compensable rating for a scar associated with prostate adenocarcinoma.

The Board has decided that more contemporaneous VA examinations are needed to properly assess the current severity of the disabilities, including hemorrhoids, erectile dysfunction, bilateral pterygium, and lower extremity radiculopathy. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) has also been raised by the record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his lumbar spine disability, as well as his prostate disorder and erectile dysfunction. The issues are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and opinions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, as secondary to his service-connected anxiety disorder, requires additional development and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, prostate cancer, bilateral hearing loss, degenerative lumbar disc disease, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction, are found to be so severe that they prevent the Veteran from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction and sleep apnea are remanded due to a failure to provide appropriate VA examinations.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for various peripheral neuropathy and erectile dysfunction conditions, finding no claim was received prior to October 16, 2014.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides while stationed in Thailand during his service, and therefore grants service connection for prostate cancer, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type 2, neuropathy of bilateral upper extremities, neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, skin disorder, and lung disorder as due to exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction and Parkinson’s disease due to exposure to Agent Orange are granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting both lower extremities, have resulted in loss of use of his legs for the purposes of eligibility for specially adapted housing. Additionally, he is eligible for financial assistance for an automobile and adaptive equipment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for depression has been reopened.,Claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for right upper extremity peripheral diabetic neuropathy with carpal tunnel syndrome, right lower extremity peripheral diabetic neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral diabetic neuropathy have all been dismissed as freestanding claims. The original decisions granting these conditions were final.,The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to March 31, 2014, for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus has been dismissed as a freestanding claim. The original decision granting this condition was final.,The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to March 31, 2014, for the grant of service connection for erectile dysfunction has been dismissed as a freestanding claim. The original decision granting this condition was final.,The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to February 17, 2013, for the grant of service connection for left knee patellofemoral syndrome has been dismissed as a freestanding claim. The original decision granting this condition was final.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a 50 percent rating, effective from August 11, 2010. The claims for microcytic anemia and lung nodules are remanded. Other service connection claims are also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board also remanded the case for a determination on whether the Veteran's bilateral eye disorder is related to his diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including TDIU, evaluation of PTSD and other conditions, service connection for hypertension, and tinnitus. The matters are being returned for additional development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction on a secondary basis, finding that it is related to his use of methadone for treatment of service-connected right hip and back disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction. However, the Veteran's conditions are currently being remanded as no VA examiner has provided a clear opinion on whether they are aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee, right heel, and right ankle disabilities, as well as headaches, GERD, and IBS. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD with bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder in remission remains pending.,The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is also pending.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, kidney disability, and erectile dysfunction. The opinions are needed to address whether these conditions are secondary to service-connected disabilities or herbicide exposure.