Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's renal calculi disorder, which is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, does not warrant a higher initial rating. The evidence shows recurrent kidney stones but no significant need for dietary or drug therapy, and the veteran did not require invasive procedures more than twice per year.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a current duodenal ulcer or kidney disorder, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for heart disability, right lung disability, and kidney stones. Service connection was granted for low back disability due to osteophytes of the lumbar spine.

The VA denied an increased rating for renal stones, currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling.

The Board found that the appellant does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension benefits based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, as he is not helpless or blind, nor so nearly helpless or blind as to require such assistance. The RO has also awarded a 30 percent rating for mood disorder, 10 percent ratings for hypertension and enlarged prostate with nocturia, and noncompensable ratings for bronchitis and gastritis/pancreatitis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's renal calculus condition, which was previously rated at 20 percent, is now rated at 10 percent due to improvement in symptoms and no more than mild with occasional attacks of colic. The claim for restoration of the prior 20 percent rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cause of death, advanced renal cell carcinoma, was related to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The appellant is also granted eligibility for dependents' educational assistance.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder and did not address his request to reopen his claim for residuals of a head injury. The RO is instructed to obtain any relevant medical records, schedule the veteran for an examination, and then review the case again.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a ruptured kidney, as new and material evidence has been submitted. The case is now remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a donated left kidney, low back pain (claimed as arthritis), bilateral foot pain, right ankle pain, and high cholesterol. The evidence did not show that the veteran had any current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's recurrent renal calculi (kidney stones), finding that the current 30 percent schedular evaluation adequately reflected the disability picture associated with the veteran's kidney stones. The Board also found no basis for further action on the issue of assigning an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, and the claim is well grounded. The appellant's husband died from hepatitis-related complications in 1990, but there is no clear evidence linking his death to military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found no evidence of a connection between the veteran's current disabilities and his military service, including any injury sustained in 1945.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for residuals of rib fractures, right kidney disorder, and low back disorder. The original denials were based on lack of evidence at the time.

The Board denied the veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for residuals of cyst removal from the penis, diabetes, a heart disorder, and a kidney disorder. The evidence submitted since the final decisions was found to be cumulative and not new or material.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for secondary service connection for a kidney disorder, concluding that it is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected psychiatric disability.

The medical evidence does not show that the veteran's cryoglobulinemia with renal insufficiency was present during or until many years following active duty, and it is not presumed to have been incurred in service. The condition did not result from any inservice disease or injury.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, finding that there was no causal relationship between the VA treatment and his renal failure or death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his claims. The PTSD claim was granted with a 10% rating.

The Board found no evidence of strep throat in service and concluded that the veteran's kidney transplant was not caused by a service-connected condition. The claim for service connection is denied.