The Board found that the appellant's heart disease, including myocardial infarction with coronary artery bypass grafts and chest pain; postoperative residuals of a colon disorder, including diverticulitis; and hemorrhoids and rectal bleeding resulting from January-February 1989 VA abdominal surgeries are not causally or etiologically related to the surgeries in question.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA did not support a causal relationship between the surgeries and the appellant's current cardiac and gastrointestinal disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative residuals of a colon disorder, heart disease, hemorrhoids and rectal bleeding
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2002
- Citation
- 0211973
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 0211973.
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
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