Hemorrhoids decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical examination to determine the current manifestations of the veteran's hemorrhoids, including size, characteristics, severity, and any bleeding or fissures. The RO should also request all records of treatment from January 2006 forward at the Austin, Texas VA Outpatient Clinic.

The veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, recurring nasopalatine duct cyst, chondromalacia of the patella of the right knee, and external hemorrhoids have been granted. The veteran is assigned a 10% rating for his chondromalacia of the patella of the right knee.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for appendectomy with postoperative adhesions was denied as his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating.,Service connection for ulcer disorder secondary to the service-connected appendectomy was also denied, as there is no evidence of ulcers in the record.,The claim to reopen the veteran's service connection for hemorrhoids was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for memory loss and fatigue, as well as increased ratings for hemorrhoids and a left wrist disability.,Right ear hearing loss was not shown in the veteran's service records or within one year of discharge. The VA audiologist found normal right ear hearing throughout the appeal period.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Blake Medical Center and Manatee Memorial Hospital, finding that there was no emergency condition warranting non-VA treatment and that VA facilities were feasibly available.

The veteran's appeal is for an increased rating for his service-connected hemorrhoids. The RO has granted a 20 percent rating, which is the highest available under the applicable diagnostic code. However, the veteran continues to argue that he should receive an even higher rating due to marked interference with employment.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current left ankle or hemorrhoid disabilities and therefore, service connection cannot be granted for these conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected hemorrhoids.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional VA examinations to evaluate his service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee conditions and skin disability. The initial evaluations for these conditions are still pending.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for rectal prolapse or internal and external hemorrhoids. For duodenal ulcer disease, the Board determined that there was no evidence to warrant a higher than 20 percent evaluation prior to January 1, 2003, and denied the propriety of reducing the rating from 20 percent to 10 percent as of January 1, 2003.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for hemorrhoids was denied as the evidence did not show external or internal hemorrhoids that were large or thrombotic, irreducible, with excessive redundant tissue, or evidencing frequent recurrences prior to July 14, 2003. The effective date for the award of a 10 percent rating is set at July 14, 2003.

The Board has granted service connection for hemorrhoids and determined that the veteran's current psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hemorrhoid disability rating should be reduced from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective March 1, 2001. The evidence shows significant improvement in his condition since May 2000.

The veteran's cervical and lumbar strain were incurred during service, while her foot fungus was not shown to be related to service. Other claims of service connection are denied.

The veteran's service-connected hiatal hernia with GERD has been rated as noncompensable since its grant of service connection. The Board finds that the current evidence does not support a higher initial compensable evaluation.,For his bilateral inguinal hernia, status-post surgical repair times three, the veteran is currently assigned a noncompensable rating. The Board notes that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a 10 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7338.

The RO denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his claimed conditions, finding that none of them warranted a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for compliance with VCAA requirements and further appellate consideration.

The veteran's service-connected residuals of cold weather injury to the right and left feet are currently rated at 20 percent each, but he seeks higher ratings.,For his hemorrhoids, the veteran is seeking a compensable rating.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including headaches and hemorrhoids, do not render him unemployable due to their severity.