Erectile dysfunction decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), was related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or cancer malignancy. The appeal is granted.

The appeal of the reduction for a right ankle disability rating and entitlement to an increased disability rating is remanded due to incomplete VA examination results.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction was dismissed as the condition has already been granted. The issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea remains unresolved and denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to assess the nature and severity of his back disability and ED. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, seizure disorder, TBI, and neurocognitive disorder.,Service connection was not established for any of the claimed conditions as there was no evidence linking them to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, thoracic spine disability, right lower extremity neuropathy, and migraine headaches due to incomplete development of records.

The Veteran's service-connected sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected hypertension. His back disability, prior to July 8, 2021, does not warrant a higher rating due to limited range of motion and no ankylosis or incapacitating episodes. The compensable rating for erectile dysfunction (ED) is denied. The reduction in the diverticulitis rating was improper, and the Veteran's original 10 percent rating is restored.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II and neuropathy of the extremities, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from January 11, 2019 to September 18, 2019. Prior to this period, his diabetes alone did not prevent him from securing and following such employment.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and Peyronie's disease with erectile dysfunction are found to have onset coincident with service, warranting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for which service connection is warranted, including low back disability, left shoulder dislocation, left knee disability, right knee disability, corneal abrasion of the left eye, erectile dysfunction, and headaches.,Service connection was denied for residuals of right index finger laceration and residuals of left upper thigh stab wound due to lack of current disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for fatigue, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), erectile dysfunction, heart condition, type II diabetes mellitus, and depression have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a cervical spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, right hip disability, and left hip disability are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for erectile dysfunction and depression, both secondary to a seizure disorder. The Veteran needs to be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction has been granted. Service connection is also granted for left eye diabetic retinopathy, bilateral hearing loss, right upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, left upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, and left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy.,The Veteran's request to reopen a claim for service connection for residuals of colon cancer has been denied. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to new evidence suggesting it may be related to his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU prior to September 29, 2016, due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.,Initial ratings of 40 percent were granted for neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, with an extraschedular rating for retinopathy.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus was denied as his disability did not require one or more daily injections of insulin and regulation of activities.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was also denied, as there is no evidence that he was unable to work due to his service-connected disabilities prior to August 31, 2022.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, bladder leakage, and erectile dysfunction due to uncertainty about his exact training dates at Camp Lejeune and Camp Geiger from July to October 1972. The RO is instructed to search for records establishing these dates and make a formal finding regarding them.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular disease, erectile dysfunction, and ulcerative colitis as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after active service. The Veteran's reported exposures to herbicides were not verified.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's erectile dysfunction, which is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were generally granted, with some issues being denied or remanded. The Veteran received a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain prior to July 28, 2022, and an increase in the rating of his left ankle disorder from noncompensable to 10 percent.