Kidney disease decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeals seeking service connection for proteinuria and a kidney condition were dismissed as the evidence did not show these conditions existed prior to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C, chronic kidney disease, liver condition (claimed as cirrhosis and liver cancer), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as bipolar disorder and depression) due to insufficient evidence addressing the service separation examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's kidney stones are proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, specifically chronic kidney disease with hypertension and osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 100 percent from February 29, 2012. The RO denied entitlement to a TDIU prior to February 29, 2012, or based on a single service-connected disability.

The appeals for whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for left and right ear hearing loss have been dismissed.,The appeals for entitlement to service connection for colon polyps and psoriatic arthritis have been dismissed.,New and material evidence having been received, the claims for service connection for left and right knee conditions are reopened; to this extent only, the appeals are granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's kidney disability, including whether it is related to service or any other conditions. The Veteran was diagnosed with left kidney failure in January 1973 and had his left kidney removed in August 1973.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, headaches, right ankle disability, left wrist disability, diabetes mellitus type II, and kidney disorder is granted. The effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is set at October 9, 2009.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a chronic kidney disorder is denied. The claim for reopening of the IBS service connection claim is granted, and service connection for IBS is granted. Service connection for a chronic jaw condition is denied. The claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is remanded.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal of his service connection claims for hearing loss and kidney disease, resulting in their dismissal.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate examinations and need for further evidence. The Veteran's blood pressure, kidney disability, anemia, eye disability (jaundice), and respiratory disability are all in question.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, cystitis, and kidney disability due to inadequate medical opinions addressing the Veteran's lay contentions. The case is now pending for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer, polyps on thyroid, and cysts on kidneys due to lack of current diagnoses.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a kidney disorder is denied, but his claim for atrial fibrillation is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's cause of death is granted effective September 19, 2014, based on his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability or active duty service, including in-service complaints of dyspnea, to his cause of death. The appellant is asked to provide any additional medical records and a VA clinician will be requested to provide an opinion on whether there is a relationship between the Veteran's depression and his coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to missing records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board denied service connection for renal cell carcinoma with metastases to the lung, finding that there was no direct evidence linking the condition to service and noting that the Veteran did not have a primary site diagnosis of lung cancer.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of chloracne, migraines, kidney condition (including recurrent kidney stones), stomach or bowel disorder, and PTSD. The Veteran's private treatment records need to be obtained for all conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected back condition and kidney malfunction prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment beginning January 11, 2012. A TDIU rating (on an extraschedular basis) is granted for this period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for AL amyloidosis is granted. The claims for service connection for a kidney condition, right leg disability, and memory impairment are remanded due to the need for additional development.