The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety disorder is not related to his retained surgical needle, which he received under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in March 1991.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the veteran's anxiety disorder was not likely due to or etiologically linked to the retained surgical needle, and was more likely caused by his constant pain as a result of the surgical procedure's injury to his left lung during a second bypass operation.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2002
- Citation
- 0209258
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 0209258.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep disturbances, to include obstructive sleep apnea, as secondary to an anxiety disorder. The increased rating claim for the anxiety disorder was denied, and the heart condition claim was dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board dismissed the appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) and remanded several issues related to increased ratings for various disabilities.
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