Glaucoma Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his claimed disabilities, including type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, hypothyroidism, myocardial infarction residuals, hypertension, hemorrhoids, and gastrointestinal disorder. The remand requires further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder has been reopened, and to that extent only, the claim is allowed. The claims for dizziness, right eye condition, skin condition, and low back disability are remanded due to outstanding records and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year of separation and is not shown to be causally related to an in-service event.,The Veteran's psoriasis may have worsened since the last examination. A new VA examination is needed to determine its current nature and severity.,Spinal stenosis, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and glaucoma are all potentially related to herbicide exposure during service. Further evaluation is required to establish a connection.,COPD and pulmonary fibrosis may be related to the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea. A new VA examination is needed to evaluate these conditions.,Pulmonary fibrosis and COPD are both related to the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea. Further evaluation is required to establish a connection.,Glaucoma is not service-connected as it may be due to refractive error, which cannot be subject to herbicide exposure presumption.,Obstructive sleep apnea is inextricably intertwined with the Veteran's claims for COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. These claims must be remanded first.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's eye disabilities, including ocular hypertension with glaucoma and cataracts.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left eye disability, finding that his current conditions are not related to an in-service injury and that there is no evidence of a chronic disability or residuals during clinical evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disability other than bilateral cataracts and bilateral glaucoma, granted service connection for bilateral cataracts as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus, and found that there is equipoise of evidence regarding whether bilateral glaucoma is related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or relationship to service for glaucoma, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability. Service connection was remanded for prostate condition and hypertension.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities and denied his claim for service connection for glaucoma. The TDIU appeal was dismissed because the Veteran did not provide necessary information regarding his employment status, leading to abandonment of the appeal. For glaucoma, the Board found insufficient evidence of a current diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the claims for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral glaucoma, and bilateral hearing loss due to potential service connection issues.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral glaucoma is being remanded as there are questions regarding its etiology and whether it is related to his diabetes mellitus or service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is also being remanded, with a focus on determining if the condition is due to tinnitus or service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired eye disability and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to herbicide agent exposure. The case is returned for further development, including VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral leg disorder, left knee disorder, glaucoma disorder, and hypertension.,Service connection was not granted for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer, glaucoma, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct relationship to his military service or any recognized exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's left eye disability is not service connected, and the VA procedure for cataract surgery did not cause or worsen his blindness.

Service connection for glaucoma is dismissed. Service connection for depression, sleep apnea, low back disorder, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease (claimed as ischemic heart disease and coronary artery disease) are granted on the merits.

The Veteran's service connection claims for chronic sinusitis and traumatic glaucoma of the right eye have been granted. The claim for increased rating for bilateral hearing loss disability remains pending.,For the initial rating period prior to June 28, 2019, a non-compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability has been granted. For the rating period from June 28, 2019 onwards, a higher than 20 percent rating is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disabilities and skin cancer. The examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to military sexual trauma in service.

The Veteran's claim for financial assistance due to service-connected disabilities resulting in loss or use of feet is being remanded for a new VA examination.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the April 2022 remand directives and has ordered a new addendum opinion to address the etiology of the Veteran's age-related cataracts, which are secondary to his service-connected right eye infraorbital scar.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed eye disabilities, including photophobia. The issues of service connection for a bilateral eye disability and TBI are still pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disability with vision loss is reopened, but the case is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.