Kidney disease decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's renal stones are related to his active service. The VA examiner did not provide a sufficient rationale for their opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's chronic kidney disease is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or herbicide exposure. The Veteran must provide a new opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's hand tremors were not incurred during or related to his period of active service, and any current hand tremors are unrelated to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the claim for further action due to an inadequate examination report regarding the relationship between the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma and lung metastasis, as well as its relation to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is determined to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient evidence. Service connection is granted for kidney cancer, but hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded as there is an inadequate opinion in the VA examination report. Esophageal cancer is also remanded as there is no VA examination or opinion regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are granted. Hypertension is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure, while CKD is found to be at least as likely as not due to the now service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for kidney and bladder cancer, as well as the removal of his left kidney due to these cancers, are being remanded due to procedural issues and insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his conditions. Further development is needed to determine if his exposure to asbestos and chemical hazards during service caused or contributed to his health problems.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen his previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions. The Veteran is now entitled to a determination on these issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of renal calculi of the kidneys, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and any incident of active service, including herbicide exposure. The Board concluded that the kidney stones did not have onset during service or within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and impairment of the right tibia and fibula are being remanded for further examination to determine their current severity.,The Veteran's impairment of the right tibia and fibula is also being remanded for further examination to determine its current severity.,The Veteran's liver disability, kidney disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, and heart disability are being remanded due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Service connection will be considered on a direct basis as well as presumptively based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,The Veteran's leukemia is also being remanded for further examination to determine its current severity and whether it is related to service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the claims for kidney disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and left knee strain with gout due to potential issues with the medical opinions provided.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, chronic renal disease, and ischemic heart disease with hypertensive cardiovascular disease due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their relationship to service-connected PTSD. The issues are inextricably intertwined with the hypertension claim.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings on several service-connected conditions has been withdrawn. The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for memory impairment, finding it secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder. The Veteran is also granted a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and lack of information on the qualifications of the examiner. The Veteran's kidney disease claim will be reviewed again with a new opinion from another VA examiner.

The Board denied service connection for kidney cancer and chronic kidney disease, both of which are associated with exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran's current diagnoses do not support these claims.,Service connection was also denied for loss of vision in the left eye, as there is no direct evidence linking this condition to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a renal condition is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claim during a hearing.,Prior to November 27, 2019, the Veteran was granted a 100% disability rating for PTSD. After that date, he was found to be totally disabled and unable to work due to PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for a disability characterized by vertigo and a kidney disability, finding that the conditions did not have their onset in service or were due to exposure to herbicides. The Veteran's assertions of chemical exposure during service were not supported by credible evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis (claimed as allergies), asthma, sleep apnea, heart disability, kidney disability, and anemia due to new evidence received since the January 1995 rating decision. The issues of service connection are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left ankle disability, kidney disorder (to include kidney stones), diabetes mellitus, type II, sleep disorder (to include sleep apnea), and left arm carpal tunnel syndrome. The reasons provided were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service or any service-connected disabilities.