Hemorrhoids decisions — 2011

The Veteran's service connection claims for hemorrhoids, right wrist disorder, genu varum (bilateral shin splints), bilateral knee disorder, bilateral pes planus, lumbar spine disorder, and status post hysterectomy, fibroid tumors, and LEEP procedure were denied as her claimed conditions are not related to her honorable period of active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for facial burns, pseudofolliculitis barbae, sinusitis, carpal tunnel syndrome (cervical radiculopathy), skin pruritus, rheumatoid arthritis with bone spurs of the right shoulder, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for hemorrhoids. The Board found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due solely to impairment resulting from his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds reasonable doubt in favor of this determination.

The Board has determined that there is no medical evidence to support a finding of a chronic hemorrhoid disability during or after service, and the Veteran's own opinion regarding continuity of symptomatology does not outweigh the probative VA examination findings. As such, the claim for service connection for hemorrhoids must be denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the issues of increased evaluation for service-connected hemorrhoids and a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The VA determined that the appellant's hemorrhoid condition, which is currently manifested by small hemorrhoids with occasional flare-ups and bleeding, does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, small cell carcinoma of the lung, was not related to his service-connected disabilities or any in-service radiation exposure. The medical opinions of record found no connection between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right buttock, postoperative chronic hypertrophic rhinitis with polyposis, and thrombotic hemorrhoids, post hemorrhoidectomy, for further development.

The Veteran's hemorrhoids resulted in persistent bleeding with fissures, warranting a 20 percent rating for the period prior to February 17, 2010.,For his right knee disability, the Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating effective from February 17, 2010.

The Board has granted service connection for hemorrhoids with an effective date of August 22, 2005. The Veteran's claim for PTSD to include a psychiatric disorder is remanded due to the need for additional development regarding stressors and a VA compensation examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and determining whether his brain tumor qualifies for presumptive service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's periods of active duty for training and inactive duty for training, as well as whether his current conditions are related to service. The case will be returned to the AMC for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hemorrhoids warrant a 20 percent evaluation from November 14, 2005 and an increased rating for anal fissure is denied. The issues are rated as mixed due to some aspects of both conditions being granted while others were not.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess his ability to work due to service-connected disabilities and obtaining relevant ongoing VA treatment records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, chronic sinusitis, headaches, a right inguinal hernia, and hemorrhoids. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including hearing loss, dental issues, foot pain, cardiac arrest residuals, pneumonia-related pulmonary granuloma, psychiatric disorder, kidney stones, back injury, hemorrhoids, anal fistula, erectile dysfunction, skin disorders, and varicose veins have been granted. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has determined that there is no objective evidence of record showing that the Veteran's external hemorrhoids are large or thrombotic, irreducible, with excessive redundant tissue, or evidencing frequent recurrences. As such, the claim for an increased (compensable) disability rating for external hemorrhoids is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the medical history provided by the Veteran and the reliance on erroneous information. The Veteran's unemployability is being reconsidered based on his current age, education, experience, and service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for hemorrhoids, diabetes mellitus, vision problems, and headaches. Headaches were found to have had their onset in service.