Kidney disease decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including breathing problems, hypertension, skin cancer, and skin rashes. The heart condition (enlarged heart) was also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, kidney disease, and diabetes due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's claims are currently pending.

The Veteran's heart disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected anxiety neurosis, and the renal cell carcinoma is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service or exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for various conditions, including kidney disorder, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart and kidney disabilities due to exposure to herbicide agents, as they are central to his claim. The appeal is being returned to obtain medical records from the University of Colorado Hospital where he received primary care.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed kidney disability, finding that it is part of his already service-connected prostatitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding treatment records and incomplete medical examinations. The appeals are also remanded for additional examination reports addressing functional impairment during flare-ups, neurological complaints, and whether post-traumatic headaches are a TBI residual.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for the cause of death, but has also found that DIC under section 1318 is not warranted. The case is being remanded for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension due to new evidence received since the last denial. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have started during or shortly after his military service.

The Veteran's kidney transplant is denied as his renal failure was more likely due to diabetes, not the service-connected left kidney disability.,The right wrist disability is currently rated at 10 percent and no higher based on limitation of motion. The Veteran does not have ankylosis of the wrist.,The Veteran’s renal calculus of the left kidney is currently rated as 30 percent due to recurrent stone formation requiring invasive or non-invasive procedures more than two times a year. No further increase in rating is granted.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess whether the Veteran's current kidney disabilities are related to service, as the July 2016 VA examiner did not review the Veteran’s records and provide an accurate assessment of her kidney disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip disability and kidney disorder were denied. The Veteran's right knee issues, including instability and limitation of motion, were granted with increased ratings.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder as secondary to service-connected left knee and/or left ankle disability, and entitlement to service connection for removal of the right kidney due to additional disability during service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for renal cell carcinoma and PTSD was denied. Service connection for PTSD was granted with a 50% rating from August 23, 2014 to June 15, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for low back disorder, skin disorder, and kidney stones have been denied as new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, and renal cell carcinoma due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran's exposure is undisputed, but there is a question of whether his cancers are related to service.

The Veteran's cause of death is due to metastatic renal cancer, diabetes mellitus type II (DM), and hypertension. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Thailand and that his DM was related to this exposure. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, sleep apnea, kidney condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, and anxiety) have been reopened. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been granted.

The Board denied service connection for renal failure and the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.,There were also issues regarding DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, which were not granted due to the Veteran not meeting the requirements for continuous total disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151 for renal failure, finding that the Veteran did not file his initial claim until October 8, 2009, more than five years after he started dialysis in July 2004.