Kidney disease decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient examinations and procedural defects in the development process.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete records from the Providence VA Medical Center.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete documentation of informed consent for partial kidney removal surgery.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to December 16, 2020.

Service connection is granted for seborrheic keratosis and chronic kidney disease as secondary to service-connected hypertension disability. Service connection is remanded for blood clots in bilateral lower extremities and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Board denied service connection for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and Kidney Cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's in-service exposure to ionizing radiation or asbestos.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for right knee disorder, erectile dysfunction, bilateral eye disorder, lung disorder, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral hip disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (likely PTSD), TMJ, kidney disorder, low back disorder, and headache disorder. The claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of evidence.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including OSA, anxiety disorder, hypertension, dizziness, kidney cancer, gall bladder disorder, left elbow disorder, neck disorder, headaches, and peripheral neuropathy. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions had onset in active service or were otherwise causally related to active service.

The Board has found that additional development is required before the claims for service connection can be adjudicated on the merits. The case was remanded to obtain private medical records and other relevant evidence, but no response was received from the Veteran or his spouse.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy sciatic nerve have been granted increased evaluations of 20 percent each, effective from June 25, 2009.,The Veteran has also been granted a determination of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that leishmaniasis was not a principal or contributory cause of the Veteran's death and renal failure was not related to his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's death was caused by myocardial infarction, with end stage kidney disease as a contributing factor. The Board finds issues related to service connection for the cause of death and reopening a back disability claim need further development.

The Board has reinstated the underlying appeal for claims of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, accrued benefits purposes, and service connection for cause of death due to a timely December 2016 substantive appeal (VA Form 9). The MRSA infections are remanded for further medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for left kidney renal cell carcinoma, finding it related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to conflicting opinions on its etiology.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hernia, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, colitis, and high blood pressure are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's kidney disease renal dysfunction is granted as service-connected due to aggravation by his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are granted, including sleep apnea, heart disorder, hypertension, left hip disability, low back disability, and tinnitus. The Board finds the evidence in relative equipoise regarding these claims.,However, several new issues of entitlement to service connection have been identified, such as chest pain, dyspnea, right foot stress fracture, right hip disability, osteoporosis, right shoulder disability, tremors, asthma, blepharitis, lipoma of the chest, and kidney stones. These claims are currently pending for further review.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, heart disability, kidney disability, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia, prostate disability, sinus disability, scotoma, and respiratory disorder are all remanded for further development.,Service connection is being remanded for the Veteran's heart disability, kidney disability, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia, prostate disability (benign prostatic hypertrophy), sinus disability (allergic rhinitis), scotoma, and respiratory disorder.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, but denied these claims on the merits. The claim of increased rating for nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, suspected glaucoma and blepharitis (eye condition), and kidney disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the appellant's military service.