Glaucoma decisions — 2011

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound due to her failure to cooperate with VA examinations and lack of good cause for missing scheduled appointments.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 20 percent for service-connected primary open-angle glaucoma was denied. The Board found that the criteria for an extraschedular rating were not met due to the Veteran's employment status and work loss.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for residuals of a left eye injury, finding that the Veteran's symptoms include pain, redness and blurred vision with corrected visual acuity no worse than 20/25. The issue of traumatic neuropathy of the left eye remains unresolved as it is not part of the appeal.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a right eye disorder on the basis of new and material evidence. However, further development is required before this claim can be readjudicated.

The Board denied service connection for glaucoma and a separate compensable disability evaluation for hypertension as a diabetic complication.

The January 6, 2004 VA surgical treatment was not found to have resulted in any additional disability to the Veteran's right eye.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for glaucoma, including as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The case is REMANDED for an addendum by a VA examiner providing a rationale whether the current ocular disorders are at least as likely as not related to (or aggravated by) his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, left elbow ulnar nerve entrapment, and glaucoma were denied. The RO continued to deny the claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy and a rating in excess of 50 percent for glaucoma, as well as a rating in excess of 30 percent for left elbow ulnar nerve entrapment.

The Veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to, by an injury or disease incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The causes of death listed on his death certificate are not service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II and its related peripheral neuropathies. The issues are all secondary to service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, which is claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure in Korea.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for multiple conditions, including cellulitis, otitis media, tinnitus, nasopharyngeal cancer (claimed as throat cancer), diabetes mellitus, glaucoma (claimed as blindness), coronary artery disease, and degenerative joint disease of both knees. The preponderance of evidence is against the Veteran's claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral open angle glaucoma, Peyronie's disease, and hyperlipidemia are not supported by the evidence of record. The preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral open-angle glaucoma is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left eye disorder is related to service. The claim will be reconsidered after this development.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, including glaucoma, and denied his increased rating claims for scars, lacerations to the lateral side of the right knee, and a right ankle disability. The decision also noted that it was unclear whether the appeal was about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the termination of SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance was improper, as it had not been in effect long enough to warrant a reduction. The Veteran's disability remains severe enough to require such benefits.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before a final decision can be made on the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral glaucoma.

The Veteran was not in receipt of a total disability rating for at least eight continuous years prior to his death, thus failing the requirement for enhanced DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1311(a)(2).

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, pes planus, peripheral artery disease, and glaucoma. The Veteran's bilateral knee disorder claim was not addressed as it is related to a different issue.

The VA examiner found bilateral glaucoma and epiphora in the Veteran's eyes, but did not find a direct link to service. The Board therefore denied service connection for these conditions.