Kidney disease decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and right kidney removal. The Veteran's request to reopen the claim for these conditions was successful. Service connection is also granted for increased ratings of peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities. Additionally, the Veteran is now eligible for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is presumed to be related to his military service at Camp Lejeune, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes, aplastic anemia, and kidney disease due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The VA is instructed to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeals for left heel spurs, right heel spurs, and hypertension have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeal.,Tinnitus has been granted as service connected.,PTSD has been granted as service connected.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's skin rash, but denied claims for colon tumor, esophagus tumor, liver tumor, kidney tumors, and allergies as they are not related to military service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney disability, diagnosed as renal artery stenosis and chronic renal disease, is related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease (IHD). As a result, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's gallbladder cancer, renal cysts, and enlarged prostate were not found to be related to service exposure to ionizing radiation.,Service connection for these conditions was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied. The maximum schedular rating available for recurrent tinnitus has been assigned.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus as secondary to bilateral hearing loss is denied, and it remains at June 28, 2012.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation at a higher rate due to the need for aid and attendance and loss of use of both feet, resulting from service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension, acquired psychiatric disability, and kidney and urinary disabilities are granted. The remaining issues of service connection for vision disability, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, and migraines are remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and renal cell carcinoma, but has remanded both issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for kidney and prostate cancers are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for neurological tremors has been reopened and granted. An increased rating of 30 percent for PTSD prior to August 7, 2012 is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and bilateral nephrolithiasis with gouty diathesis and medullary sponge kidney were denied. The GERD is currently rated at 10 percent, while the nephrolithiasis is rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II is now rated at 40 percent effective May 8, 2012. The Board has granted a higher rating for the diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a kidney disability and denied all other issues on appeal. The Veteran's current kidney disability is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for ureterolithiasis (kidney stones) and migraines were denied. The Veteran's PTSD was also denied for an initial rating higher than 30 percent prior to April 7, 2017, and from that date onwards.,For the right shoulder disability, a 20 percent rating is granted since March 3, 2015, with restrictions. For the left shoulder disability, a 20 percent rating is also granted since March 3, 2015, with restrictions. The Veteran's right knee instability and limitation of motion are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left ankle disability, left kidney disability, foot disability with pain, fungus of both toes, bronchitis, and sinusitis due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no current diagnosis of tinnitus and the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that his tinnitus is related to service.,The Veteran's chronic renal condition, characterized as chronic kidney disease stage three with left kidney stone, is remanded due to lack of an examination. The examiner must determine if it is at least as likely as not that the condition is attributable to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder) is remanded for a VA mental health examination. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any heart disability, hypertension, peptic ulcer disease, kidney disability, or radiculopathy. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.