Kidney disease decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder and remanded the remaining issues due to additional development being required.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right kidney angiomyolipoma (benign kidney tumor) as there was no evidence linking his condition to his active duty service, including exposure to herbicide agents or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for prostate cancer, bladder disability, kidney disability, residuals of heart attack, and heart valve replacement and bypass due to lack of additional disability caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or similar instance.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of bilateral renal cancer, finding that the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service is presumed to have caused his condition. The decision also reopened the claim due to new evidence provided by a VA doctor.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for renal cell carcinoma, finding that his exposure to chemicals in-service is at least as likely as not linked to his cancer.

Service connection is granted for right and left flat feet. Service connection is denied for a kidney disorder. The appeals regarding bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, prostate disorder, and TMJ with earaches are being remanded.

The Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine was found to have manifested within a year of his final period of active duty, and service connection is granted. The claims for PTSD, major depressive disorder, diverticulitis, right kidney cyst, GERD, right foot disability, and left foot disability are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a heart condition and polycystic kidney disease, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected conditions, including renal disease with hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities, have resulted in a combined rating of at least 80 percent since May 2011, and currently 90 percent. The Board has granted TDIU based on these service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for abdominal pain, bladder discomfort, kidney pain, breathing problems, fatigue, headaches, and numbness of upper and lower extremities due to in-service exposure. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA treatment records and SSA disability benefits records, as well as a need for clarification on whether the Veteran's polycystic kidney disease and multicystic kidney disease were aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted service connection for chloracne, renal cell carcinoma, and secondary polycythemia due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him incapable of securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has found that additional development is needed for the issues on appeal, including obtaining VA opinions to address the etiology of the claimed disabilities due to ionizing radiation exposure. The remanded issues are: Congestive heart failure, kidney disability, lung disability, and osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's kidney condition, including chronic kidney disease and kidney cancer, is denied as there is no evidence of a service connection or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The VA examiner concluded that the current diagnosis of chronic kidney disease is not related to his time in service.

The appeals for service connection for various conditions, including wrist, leg, shoulder, neck, and arm conditions, as well as congestive heart failure, have been dismissed. The appeal for residuals of a left kidney contusion has been reopened.

The Board denied service connection for cancer of the lower back, left lung cancer, prostate cancer, cancer of the left jaw, kidney cancer, cancer of left hip, and liver cancer. Service connection was granted for stomach cancer.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic renal failure was granted an initial rating of 30 percent prior to May 1, 2017. The condition is characterized by transient edema due to renal dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims for fatigue, bronchitis, asthma, COPD, a sleep condition (claimed as sleep apnea), high cholesterol, diverticulosis, colon polyps, kidney stones, facial acne, cysts and lumps, and headaches have all been denied.,There is no evidence of any chronic conditions related to service or exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is due to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service. The renal disorder, heart/cardiac disorder, and right eye disorders are not currently diagnosed or related to service. Erectile dysfunction remains under review as it may be related to service or a service-connected condition.