Kidney disease decisions — 2002

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic respiratory disorder during service or within one year after discharge, and the medical opinions ruled out any connection between formaldehyde exposure in service and current respiratory issues. The veteran's secondary claims for brain, cardiac, kidney, and bowel disorders were also denied as there was insufficient evidence to support these claims.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his death to any condition incurred or aggravated in service.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be service-connected.,The left eye disorder is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes. The cervical spine, low back, right lower extremity (right ankle), left upper extremity on organic basis, genitourinary disorder, psychiatric disorder, headaches and memory loss on organic basis, and stomach disability are all found to be not service-connected.

The veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and kidney disorder have been dismissed as the appeal has been abandoned due to the veteran not providing his current address or responding to requests for information.

The Board denied both claims: entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for discoid lupus erythematosus and service connection for the residuals of a right ankle injury. The veteran's claim for these conditions was not supported by sufficient evidence.

The Board denied the claim, finding that the medical evidence did not support a causal relationship between the veteran's bladder cancer and his death from gastrointestinal bleeding. The VA medical expert reviewed the records and concluded that the veteran's bladder cancer did not contribute significantly to his death.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, coronary artery disease, was not related to his military service and denied service connection for the cause of death.

The veteran's epididymitis was denied a higher rating, while his emphysema with asthma received increased ratings from December 1994 to June 2000. However, the RO has not granted a higher than 60 percent rating for the condition since June 8, 2000.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to a lack of evidence showing that any of the listed conditions are service-connected.

The Board found that the veteran's death was caused by improper and inadequate medical care during his February 1995 VA hospitalization, resulting in a grant of dependency and indemnity compensation.

The Board found that the veteran's chronic hydronephrosis of the right kidney, which started in service and led to a right nephrectomy after service, was incurred during active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a left kidney nephrectomy, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his previously denied claims.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for renal disability and her claim for the cause of the veteran's death. The decision found that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim, and that the veteran's renal disability did not contribute substantially and materially to his death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions do not warrant an increased rating. The current ratings for his postoperative residuals of a gunshot wound and muscle injury are deemed appropriate.

The Board found that the veteran's left ureteropelvic junction obstruction with left renal insufficiency and right renal hypertrophy are not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or its complications. The veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated as 40 percent disabling due to noncompensable complications of diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic nephropathy.

The veteran's recurrent renal colic and nephrolithiasis, which has required treatment including lithotripsy and catheter placement, is rated at 30 percent under the criteria for hydronephrosis.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 20 percent for the veteran's service-connected low back disability, effective from March 18, 1997. The appeal is denied on all other issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including loss of teeth, COPD, peptic ulcer disease, and kidney disorder, are not related to exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims for service connection based on this exposure basis have been denied.