Scars decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected mitral valve replacement with residual scar, and an additional VA examination is needed to determine if separate compensable ratings for residuals such as neuralgia of the cranial nerve are warranted. The initial rating for mitral valve replacement with residual scar also requires further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for adhesive capsulitis of the right shoulder with limited motion of the right shoulder and arm, as well as left breast reduction including a scar. The claim for neck impingement is dismissed due to pre-existing service-connected arthritis of the cervical spine.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of left hallux valgus, right foot scar, and left foot scar were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right leg disorder was denied because there is no evidence of an additional chronic disability to the right leg other than those already attributed to service-connected conditions.

The appeal is dismissed due to the Veteran's death, and no service connection decisions are made as a result.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, but denied claims for fibromyalgia, multiple joint and muscle pain, respiratory disorder, a scar over the left eye, skin disability, and hemorrhoids. The grant of service connection is based on secondary service connection due to pre-existing disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to initial compensable ratings for a left ear scar, bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for residuals status post left ear cholesteatoma removal. The Veteran is to be provided with new examinations during an active phase of his ear infections.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service-connected surgical scars, lumbar spine disability, and left shoulder disability are not rated appropriately. The claims for increased ratings are being remanded to allow for further examination and consideration of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent disability rating for surgical scar, ganglion cyst removal left wrist is granted with an effective date of October 7, 2009. The case is remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, scars and headaches, and TBI is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,An earlier effective date for service connection for tinnitus cannot be granted as it was received after a final denial.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for the service-connected right ankle disability, but remanded to obtain additional information regarding the service-connected shrapnel wound scar.

The Veteran's hysterectomy was granted service connection, as were her abdominal scar and initial compensable rating for eczema prior to July 18, 2017. The claim for an increased rating for eczema from July 18, 2017 onward is denied.,The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's hysterectomy and scar were caused by service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and scars behind both ears are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's abdominal appendectomy scar and right ear hearing loss are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury is denied, with no current disability found related to the head injury during service.,The Veteran's disfiguring scars on his forehead are not compensable under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations regarding her service-connected residual scars, joint impairment, muscle damage, and recurrent right wrist ganglion cyst. The current ratings are not sufficient as there are issues with the existing VA examination reports.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, which includes strain with ligament injury and a surgical scar, is rated at 10 percent. The Board found no evidence of marked limitation of motion or other compensable conditions that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for left knee disability, right knee disability, knee scars, left ankle disability (secondary to knee disability), bilateral vision loss, and hepatitis due to incomplete service treatment records and unobtained post-service medical records.

The Veteran's right wrist scar is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's left ankle scar was previously rated at 10%, but the rating was reduced to 0% effective May 5, 2009. The Board found that the reduction was not proper and restored the 10% rating from May 5, 2009 to April 11, 2018.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with the April 2018 remand directives and requires another remand for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's left knee condition.