The veteran's stomach and intestine disability is not deemed to be caused or aggravated by the April 1996 surgery, as his hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease were not related to the procedure.
The deciding factor: The veteran's existing gastrointestinal conditions predated the 1996 surgery and did not result from it.
- Claimed conditions
- hiatal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), duodenitis, gastritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2002
- Citation
- 0209874
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 0209874.
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
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- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as the appellant does not have a documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s).
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