The veteran's claims for compensation benefits and increased evaluations were denied. The sponge left in the femur during hip arthroplasty is considered of no clinical significance, and material improvement was found to justify reducing his disability evaluation.
The deciding factor: The VA determined that the sponge left in the femur did not cause any additional disability and that there was no material improvement to warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- stomach ulcer, residuals of a gastroscopy with coagulation, septicemia, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, residuals of liver infection with scarring
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 18, 2000
- Citation
- 0010234
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0010234.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pancreatitis and a rating higher than 10 percent for the veteran's right index finger amputation residuals due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased (Level 2) stipend in the PCAFC for the Veteran's caregiver due to the need for continuous supervision and protection based on the Veteran's medical conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for pancreatitis, GERD, and a dental disorder as secondary to the Veteran's throat cancer, but denied an initial compensable rating for throat cancer under DC 6819. The Board also granted a 20 percent rating for urinary frequency as a residual of prostate cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for pancreatitis as there was no evidence of a recurring attack of typical severe abdominal pain or episodes requiring ongoing outpatient medical treatment.
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