Erectile dysfunction decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, right ear hearing loss, OSA, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence or further examination.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's herbicide agent exposure during service in Korea, including along the DMZ. The cases will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed. The May 2008 rating decision denying service connection for bronchial asthma is considered final, but the claim has been reopened due to new evidence associated with his second period of active duty. Service connection for bronchial asthma is granted as it preexisted his deployment and was aggravated by events during that time.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have not been found to be related to his active service.,There is no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder during or within one year after service.

The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted. The case is remanded for further development regarding the cause and aggravation of the Veteran's erectile dysfunction by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hearing loss was denied because he failed to appear for a scheduled VA examination. The TDIU claim was also denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an erectile dysfunction disability, claimed as secondary to hypertension is granted. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a chronic constrictive pericarditis disability is denied.

The Veteran is granted higher levels of SMC based on anatomical loss of both feet, need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities other than bilateral knee amputation, and additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more. The highest level of SMC awarded is SMC-N.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The decision also noted that the Veteran's PTSD claim was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service treatment records do not show he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis or sarcoidosis during his active service. The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on these issues because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s multiple sclerosis and/or sarcoidosis may be related to his active service, including the in-service anthrax vaccinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) effective August 15, 2012.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a new examination regarding whether his diminished penile length constitutes a deformity.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating of 40 percent for residuals of prostate cancer is granted. The claim for a compensable initial rating for erectile dysfunction (ED) is denied. The Veteran's claim for SMC at a level higher than that payable under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(k) for loss of use of a creative organ is denied as a matter of law.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to his service-connected persistent depressive disorder with anxiety disorder. The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for further evaluation regarding its relationship to his service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, incontinence, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of herbicide exposure evidence. The Veteran will need further examinations and medical opinions regarding his conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded the issues of service connection for left and right knee disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient clarification of the cause of the Veteran's erectile dysfunction, specifically whether it is related to service or other exposures.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating from October 22, 2018. The ED issue is still pending and has not been rated compensably.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus grants his claim for TDIU.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of all issues related to increased ratings for various disabilities, as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.