Erectile dysfunction decisions — 2020

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and the skin disorder service connection claim is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective November 18, 2009. He also receives additional SMC benefits for need of aid and attendance and housebound status.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the current condition is proximately related to his service-connected diabetes.

The Board has decided to remand several claims, including those for increased ratings and service connection. The Veteran needs new VA examinations due to worsening symptoms of his lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy, as well as a medical opinion regarding his erectile dysfunction and renal failure.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for prostate adenocarcinoma and erectile dysfunction has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the prostate adenocarcinoma claim. The ED rating remains at noncompensable.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction, finding no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after his military service. The Board also found that any current disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran’s reported exposure to air pollution from diesel-burning stoves at Homestead AFB and environmental contaminants due to drinking and bathing in water.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's hypertension is being evaluated based on herbicide exposure, while erectile dysfunction and obstructive sleep apnea are being evaluated without a specific exposure basis.

The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's left shoulder arthritis was denied service connection, but his erectile dysfunction was granted secondary to hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, as they do not result in permanent impairment of both eyes, severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ankylosis of a knee or hip, or loss of use of a hand or foot such that no effective function remains other than what would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below the elbow or knee with the use of a suitable prosthetic appliance.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, dermatitis on the right and left legs, and scar formation of the bilateral lower extremities. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was granted service connection.,Service connection was also granted for prostate cancer, diabetic retinopathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, and erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has remanded these claims for further action, including determining if the surviving spouse can substitute as the claimant.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and evaluation of his claims related to peripheral neuropathy in the upper and lower extremities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including seeking evidence about the Veteran's part-time work as an auctioneer and determining whether it qualifies as marginal employment. The VA examinations are also needed to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is denied service connection as it is not related to his active duty service, including exposure to herbicide agents. His erectile dysfunction is also denied as there is no evidence linking it to his prostate cancer.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was granted from February 20, 2019 to September 15, 2019. The TDIU claim prior to September 16, 2019 was denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction, and sleep apnea. The decisions were based on a lack of evidence supporting these conditions as being incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction was denied. The prostate condition is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum non-compensable rating available under VA guidelines. For erectile dysfunction, the Veteran does not meet the criteria for any compensable rating.