Kidney disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam Era service. The kidney failure claim is remanded as the Board requires a medical opinion on whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected heart disability.

The Board denied service connection for radiculopathy in both lower extremities and kidney disorder. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded several issues, including the rating for a headache disability, chronic kidney disease with hypertension, sinusitis, and heart disability. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to new evidence and possible improvement in service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including disc disease, is denied because the condition did not manifest during service and there is no evidence of an in-service injury or event. The current condition is related to post-service injuries.

The Veteran's cause of death was not caused or contributed to by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence linking the causes of death (acute renal failure, alcoholic cirrhosis, hepatorenal syndrome, end stage renal disease) to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical records related to the Veteran's cause of death, and a VA examiner is needed to assess whether there is any relationship between the Veteran’s cause of death and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease (CAD), non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, end stage renal disease secondary to diabetic kidney disease status post renal transplant, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and a visual disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a kidney disorder, seizure disorder, and headache disorder due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran is presumed exposed to contaminated water during his service there.

The Veteran's hypertension and kidney cancer are granted service connection due to exposure to Agent Orange. Service connection for lymph node disability is denied, as there is no current diagnosis of such condition. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss prior to January 9, 2016, is not granted an initial compensable rating, while a 40 percent rating is granted thereafter.

The Board has denied service connection for chronic renal insufficiency and hematuria due to lack of a current disability. The Veteran's claims are remanded for further examination.

The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted. The claims for prostate cancer, kidney disability, and seizure disorder are denied. A 30 percent rating is granted for headaches from March 16, 2009 to April 23, 2015.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for stomach polyps, renal toxicity, heart disability, and anemia due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The appeals are remanded as new examinations are needed to address the onset, relationship to service, and severity of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cyst on right kidney, finding that there is no competent evidence linking the condition to his active duty service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied service connection for small intestine cancer and kidney cancer, finding that the Veteran's cancers are not related to his active service or herbicide exposure.,Service connection was denied as there is no direct evidence linking the cancers to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service or any service-connected disabilities. The Board also remanded two other issues: entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for service-connected kidney removal scar and entitlement to an effective date prior to March 14, 2017, for the award of service connection for kidney cancer residuals.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional medical opinions. The issues include mental health disorders, sleep apnea, headaches, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back disorder, right leg disorder, left leg disorder, kidney cancer, and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death from right renal cancer.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, left and right lower peripheral vascular disease, kidney disease, and cerebrovascular accident (stroke) as these conditions were not incurred or aggravated during the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and secondary service connection due to procedural issues, lack of medical opinions, and need for updated VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for a left knee disorder and kidney disorder, as well as an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of the left ankle. The effective date for the grant of an evaluation of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of the left ankle is denied.