Kidney disease decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of exposure tracking records, and requests that the Veteran's Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) be obtained and a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA) memorandum be created.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bilateral kidney disability has been withdrawn. The Board has remanded several other issues including skin, low back, psychiatric, headache, eye, hearing loss, tinnitus, carpal tunnel syndrome, hip, knee, and foot disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a kidney disorder and left hand/wrist disability, as well as an increased rating for residuals of a left wrist fracture due to incomplete VA treatment records. Additional medical opinions are required regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney dysfunction, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his active service or presumed herbicide exposure. The Board also found insufficient evidence to establish a secondary relationship between his kidney dysfunction and his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's hypertension, stroke, kidney/renal insufficiency, and dementia are all granted as service-connected due to herbicide agent exposure.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction is also granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to potential exposure to herbicides and additional medical opinions are needed.

The Board denied service connection for right wrist, left wrist, kidney, and thyroid conditions as the evidence did not support a finding that these disabilities were caused by or incurred in service.,Service records do not show any diagnosis of wrist conditions during active duty. The Veteran's current diagnoses are attributed to natural aging processes and post-service occupational duties.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of some issues which were remanded. The new and material evidence has reopened several petitions to reopen previous denied claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disability, including retroperitoneal fibrosis with resultant kidney disorder, has been reopened and granted. The Board found that the evidence is sufficient to establish a nexus between the Veteran's in-service herbicide exposure (Agent Orange) and his current kidney condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney stones are not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's initial claim for increased evaluation of recurrent nephrolithiasis with chronic kidney disease and urinary tract infection was denied. The current rating of 30 percent is maintained from August 18, 2016 to the present.

The Veteran's hyperlipidemia is not a disability for VA purposes.,There is no evidence of a right kidney disability, to include cystic kidney disease, incurred in service.,There is no evidence of a gall bladder disability, to include cholecystectomy residuals, incurred in service.,There is no evidence of a colon disability, to include colon polyps, incurred in service.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and bilateral hearing loss are not shown to be due to service or any service-connected disabilities.,Service connection for hyperlipidemia, right kidney disability, gall bladder disability, colon disability, and bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for benign neoplasms of the genitourinary system, including renal cysts and epididymal cysts, due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected benign hyperpituitarism.

The Veteran's kidney condition, including chronic kidney disease, is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the previous decision, including an inadequate VA medical opinion and failure to consider lay statements. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is believed to have caused or contributed to his death by causing him to refuse hospitalization prior to his death.

The Board has remanded the cases of kidney cancer and associated scars, as well as the TDIU claim from December 27, 2017, to October 18, 2018. The issues are related to service connection for these conditions based on asbestos exposure in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is granted.,Service connection is also granted for an unspecified trauma related disorder, which the examiner opined was at least as likely as not caused by in-service hyperventilation syndrome.

The Veteran's appeals for GERD, right kidney condition, and macular degeneration have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for colon cancer and artery disability due to exposure to herbicide agents and/or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied service connection for a throat disorder and an initial disability rating higher than 10 percent for hypertension. The Veteran's prostate disorder, diabetic nephropathy with hypertension, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were remanded.,The Veteran was granted service connection for his prostate disorder but denied an increased disability rating for hypertension. His diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his claim of service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The Board will seek information about the nature and extent of any exposure to chemicals or radiation during his military service as a nuclear, biological, and chemical specialist.