Other conditions Board decisions

The veteran's service-connected avulsion of the pad of his left middle finger is rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for the completion of additional development, including new VA examinations to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected tarsal tunnel syndrome of the left foot, which has been rated as noncompensably disabling. The Board has ordered additional development to obtain updated treatment records from the Fox Valley VAMC.

The veteran's disability is rated at the highest schedular rating available for his peptic ulcer; status post exploratory laparotomy; Billroth I surgery with postgastrectomy syndrome, which includes symptoms such as maldigestion, nausea, vomiting, alternating diarrhea and constipation, dumping syndrome, abdominal discomfort, and reflux symptoms. The veteran is now rated at 60 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's current prostate disability was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran seeks service connection for keratoconus. The RO has not determined whether the condition existed prior to service and was aggravated by service, so additional medical examination is required.

The Board found no evidence to support that the veteran's death was caused or contributed to by service-connected conditions, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for residuals of radical prostatectomy is being remanded due to the need for further development. His TDIU claim requires additional information and records from his former employers and medical providers.

The veteran's claim for service connection for cardiovascular disease secondary to COPD was granted with an effective date of July 11, 2000.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the regional office.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a chronic genitourinary disability, claimed to be manifested by a low sperm count, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a disability of the left lower extremity and thus his claim for service connection on a secondary basis is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right elbow injury with traumatic arthritis, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating.

The veteran's service-connected herniated intervertebral disc of L5-S1 is currently rated at 40 percent, but the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found that the veteran's current skin condition did not develop during service and is not related to any incident of service. The evidence does not show a chronic skin disorder in service, nor was there an increase in severity during service. As such, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for emphysema, finding that the condition is directly related to the veteran's military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of right hernia repair and meralgia paresthetica, right thigh, associated with the right hernia repair are denied as there is no evidence that warrants a rating in excess of the currently assigned evaluations.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were granted, with a rating of 10 percent assigned for the right arm and right femur injuries.

The veteran's disability compensation benefits were reduced from 100% to 10%, effective April 18, 1999 due to incarceration. The RO is instructed to verify the actual date of the veteran's felony conviction and reassess whether the reduction was proper.