Scars Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for six surgical scars and insomnia, as secondary to the service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral strain status post laminectomy. It also granted a 50% disability rating for the intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral strain status post laminectomy, effective July 31, 2017, and a TDIU due solely to this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for a painful scar, anterior trunk, and a compensable rating for a scar, anterior trunk, residual from hydrocele surgery.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, a compensable rating for scar, left frontal area, and service connection for traumatic brain injury.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for right wrist and left-hand burn scar residuals but denied a compensable rating for facial burn scar residuals.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, a left knee disorder, a right knee disorder, a left foot disorder, a right foot disorder, a painful right ring finger scar, a neck disorder, a back disorder, and a right hand disorder based on the evidence showing these conditions are etiologically related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board granted restoration of the 20 percent evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected limitation of extension of the left knee, effective August 17, 2023. The other claims were denied.

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) is dismissed, while diabetes mellitus, type II and bilateral hearing loss are granted with specific ratings.

The Veteran's neck scars were granted a 30 percent disability rating, but no higher, for the entire period on appeal. The claim for an increased rating for painful scars under DC 7804 was denied.

The Board granted service connection for residuals of left eye post-retinal detachment, to include left eye retinal scarring, left eye maculopathy, and left eye cataract.

The Board remands the claim for an addendum opinion to determine the approximate total area of head, face and neck with hypo- or hyperpigmented areas of the Veteran's facial scars due to pseudofolliculitis barbae and traumatic brain injury.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of July 29, 2020, and no earlier, for a 60 percent evaluation of nummular dermatitis with residual scarring, left lower extremity.

The Board granted service connection for colon cancer and colon resection as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected pyrosis/gastritis.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for status post appendectomy scars and remanded the issues of service connection for a hysterectomy due to uterine fibroids and entitlement to a 10 percent evaluation based upon multiple, noncompensable, service-connected disabilities.

The appeal for service connection for scarring was dismissed due to a procedural error.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable initial disability rating for residuals of an injury to his left 4th digit and scar tissue on the same finger, as the evidence did not support higher ratings.

The Board denied a compensable rating for anterior trunk surgical scar #1 and granted an initial noncompensable rating for anterior trunk surgical scar #2, while remanding the evaluation in excess of 10 percent for status post stomach cancer removal (residuals).

The appeal regarding the proposed reduction in the rating for residuals of adenocarcinoma of the left upper lobe with viral pneumonia from 100 percent to 10 percent is dismissed. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his scars were denied.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for left foot pes planus and a compensable rating for the left foot scar but granted a separate 10 percent rating for left foot bunionette, status post bunionectomy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for status post cholecystectomy, ventral hernia, painful scars from cesarean and umbilical surgery, and menorrhagia.