Kidney disease decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for liver, pancreatic and renal cysts due to asbestos exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's heart disability and prostate cancer prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the criteria for an extraschedular TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded both issues for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum opinion from the August 2020 examiner.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney transplant/removal and scaring as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus is remanded.

The Board has ordered additional development for the Veteran's claims of service connection for anemia, right and left knee disabilities, a disability manifested by chest pain, to include restrictive lung disease, sternal costochondritis and asthma, and kidney disability. The issues are remanded due to incomplete or conflicting medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a kidney disorder, finding that the current kidney disorder is not causally related to service. The medical evidence did not support a nexus between the in-service complaints and the current diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including pancreatic disability, left hand disability, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, kidney disability with renal transplant, skin disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a final decision. As a result, the appeal is dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension under the PACT Act of 2022, finding it presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Service connection was denied for heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, and kidney disease due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: one regarding an increased rating for a neoplasm of the kidney and another for a compensable rating prior to November 9, 2022 for a surgical scar on the left posterior back. The remand is due to non-compliance with previous directives and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various genitourinary and musculoskeletal disabilities, including prostate cancer, kidney disability, bladder disability, low back disability, right hip disability, bilateral shoulder disability, and right knee disability. The remand requires obtaining additional medical opinions to address the etiology of these conditions, particularly regarding exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and its related complications, as well as sleep apnea and chronic fatigue. The examiner found no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the remaining issues on appeal. Specifically, efforts are required to obtain missing service treatment records from the Veteran's National Guard service and verify his claimed in-service stressors.,The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the remaining issues on appeal. Specifically, efforts are required to obtain missing service treatment records from the Veteran's National Guard service and verify his claimed in-service stressors.,The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the remaining issues on appeal. Specifically, efforts are required to obtain missing service treatment records from the Veteran's National Guard service and verify his claimed in-service stressors.,,The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the remaining issues on appeal. Specifically, efforts are required to obtain missing service treatment records from the Veteran's National Guard service and verify his claimed in-service stressors.,The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the remaining issues on appeal. Specifically, efforts are required to obtain missing service treatment records from the Veteran's National Guard service and verify his claimed in-service stressors.,The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the remaining issues on appeal. Specifically, efforts are required to obtain missing service treatment records from the Veteran's National Guard service and verify his claimed in-service stressors.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively associated with his presumed exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act. Other conditions are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's cause of death is related to his service, but needs more information about his in-service exposure to herbicides. The case is being sent back for further investigation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for kidney cancer and right unilateral nephrectomy associated with kidney cancer due to inadequate opinions in the VA examination reports.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Parkinson's disease was denied as the evidence does not support a current diagnosis of the condition and there is no causal relationship to his military service.,Service connection for tumor neoplasm of the right side and adrenal gland tumor were remanded due to inadequate rationale in the August 2017 VA examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, cardiovascular disability, renal disorder, colon cancer, and a disorder resulting from a strain of the herpes virus. The AOJ is directed to obtain additional medical records and provide new VA medical opinions as requested.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected left kidney laceration, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating based on recurrent infections or hospitalizations.