Kidney disease decisions — 2011

The Veteran's death was not found to be the result of VA carelessness, negligence, or error in judgment. The cause of death was attributed to staphylococcal bacteremia due to an infected PICC line, which is considered a natural progression and not reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's recurrent kidney stones were not shown until many years after service discharge and are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's death was caused by a disability incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service, specifically his service-connected PTSD. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise on whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed to his death from aspiration.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a back disability and right kidney disability due to inadequate analysis in prior decisions, including failure to address lay evidence regarding continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's initial ratings for diabetes mellitus and renal insufficiency were denied, as the evidence did not show that his conditions required regulation of activities or hospitalization.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his COPD and metastatic colon cancer, which were incurred during active service. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a liver condition, infectious hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal disease, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and intermittent joint pain. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a kidney disorder, finding that there was no evidence of disease or injury during service and no clear and unmistakable evidence that any pre-existing condition worsened beyond normal progression.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include nephropexy and ligation of the right renal artery, residuals of a right third finger fracture, sinusitis, residual scar on the right flank, and right ear otitis media, are rated at 70 percent combined. The Board finds that these conditions do not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to evaluate the etiology of his hypertension and renal cell carcinoma.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, to include as secondary to a service-connected appendectomy scar, was denied.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for incomplete malrotation of the gut and ectopic kidney in right lower quadrant.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral gynecomastia or right kidney removal to his active service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran died from pneumonia and acute renal failure, neither of which were service-connected. The appellant's claim for nonservice-connected death pension benefits is denied as the Veteran had no recognized military service that qualifies for this benefit.

The Veteran's inpatient treatment at Central Maine Medical Center from October 25th to the 28th of 2006 was for a medical emergency and he could not be safely transferred to a VA facility. The criteria for payment or reimbursement have been met, and the claim is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, with erectile dysfunction is currently evaluated at 20 percent. The left ankle sprain with a history of gout warrants a 10 percent evaluation. Both right knee and left knee degenerative joint disease are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current renal condition or Reiter's syndrome related to his military service. The December 2004 VA examination report concluded that the in-service trauma resolved without subsequent kidney damage and could not find any medical evidence associating Reiter's syndrome with the type of trauma experienced during service.

The Board denied service connection for myelofibrosis and renal failure due to tubular necrosis, finding that the conditions were not incurred in or related to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a renal condition and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran is entitled to a VA examination to determine if his current renal condition may be related to service.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for any disability, and the cause of death was not attributable to service or any incident of service.