Sleep apnea decisions — 2017

The Veteran seeks service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, which he claims is related to his military service and exposure to liquid fuel. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and providing an examination.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be related to service, with the evidence being in equipoise as to whether it is secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected residuals of F.C.C. mandible with paresthesia of left side of jaw, and denied service connection for bladder cancer and prostate cancer due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and found that new evidence supports a finding of service connection for gliosarcoma/glioblastoma multiforme grade IV, granting the claim.

The Board has determined that it is as likely as not that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea had its onset during active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has ordered a remand for an addendum medical advisory opinion to address the likely etiology of the Veteran's back disability, considering her service records and post-service treatment history.

The Veteran's back disability was not shown to be related to service, and the Board found no evidence of a chronic disease that became manifest within one year post-service. The initial rating for right foot scars was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his military service and that it is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain and right knee disability. The claims will be considered again after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's service-connected coccidiomycosis with left lower lung lobe resection and obstructive sleep apnea has not resulted in chronic pulmonary mycosis requiring suppressive therapy, while his lumbar radiculopathy disability has been manifested by right foot drop and atrophy of the muscles in his right lower extremity. Therefore, he is not entitled to increased initial ratings for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records prior to June 20, 2009 and requesting a supplemental opinion from the June 2014 examiner regarding the Veteran's claimed respiratory disorder and sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury, including his service-connected renal disease with hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as an appropriate VA examination to address the claims of service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new examination to assess the severity of his lumbosacral spine condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations, treatment records, and further development of his service-connected lumbar spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining inpatient treatment records from Saigon Hospital and private medical records. The claim of service connection for a low back disability will be addressed, as well as the issue of an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his back disability. The TDIU issue will also be deferred until after the additional development.