Kidney disease decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's kidney cancer is related to his military service, including herbicide exposure. The claim will be reviewed again with additional medical opinions.

The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the issue of an initial compensable evaluation for polycystic kidney disease. The left hip scar case is also remanded.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of multiple conditions, including deformed fingers, constant fatigue, cardiovascular condition, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and kidney condition. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since June 17, 2013.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claims for sinus condition, hypertension, bilateral hallux valgus, bilateral eye disorder (including dry eyes), bilateral cataracts, sleep apnea, lumbar spine disability, recurrent subluxation of left knee, post-operative left knee with DJD, right knee DJD, and right knee instability are remanded.,The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for left renal arteriovenous malformation (AVM), burn scars of the bilateral ankles, tender left knee scar, and linear left knee scar is also remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting additional examinations. The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability (PTSD), lumbar spine disability, renal calculi, right foot disability, left forefoot and ankle disability, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all at issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and ESRD, to include as secondary to hypertension due to a lack of compliance with duty-to-assist requirements.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is being remanded for a medical opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not related to herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the loss or loss of use of a hand or foot, permanent vision impairment of both eyes, severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of a knee or hip. Therefore, he is not eligible for financial assistance for an automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Board has remanded multiple service connection claims for further development and examination, including those related to respiratory, prostate, kidney, psychiatric, TBI, foot, skin, headache, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy disabilities. The Veteran is also asked to provide more information regarding his claimed stressors for PTSD.

The Veteran's NOD regarding the denial of service connection for a kidney condition was not timely filed, as it was received more than one year after the March 20, 2017 notification letter.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is granted service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The testicular cancer claim is remanded for further development.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating determinations related to multiple conditions, including left leg numbness, medial collateral ligament tear, abdominal aneurism, heart condition, kidney stones, and prostate condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for deep vein thrombosis in the bilateral lower extremities, right kidney deterioration (also claimed as kidney loss), and a right renal artery disability due to service connection issues. The Veteran's contentions regarding the cause of his disabilities are not addressed by the current medical opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis A and skin disability, but has remanded the issues of service connection for blood disorder (anemia and polycythemia) and kidney disorder (renal cell carcinoma).,Service connection is granted for skin disability due to herbicide exposure under presumptive provisions. Service connection is denied for hepatitis A as there is no current diagnosis or evidence of a link to service, including herbicide exposure. The Veteran's blood disorders are found to be related to his service and the kidney disorder may also be secondary to these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back condition and remanded the issue of determining whether his kidney dysfunction is secondary to or aggravated by his service-connected lower back condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of notification for a VA examination and potential service connection based on exposure in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's appeals to reopen service connection for a stomach disorder, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and kidney disease have been granted. The cases are all being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim for service connection for a kidney disorder, including renal cysts, renal cell carcinoma, and left radical nephrectomy. The Veteran's claims for gout of the upper and lower extremities are also remanded due to their inextricability with the kidney disorder claim.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's low back disability, including rating claims and service connection for various lower extremity and hip/knee disabilities. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for renal dysfunction. Additional evidence is needed, particularly from VA providers, and a comprehensive examination is required.

The Veteran's initial rating for residuals of a fracture to the third right toe is granted at 10 percent.,Initial ratings for atypical chest pain, kidney stones, hypertension, conjunctivitis, myalgia, and myositis are denied.