The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for residuals of a status post aortic valve replacement due to aortic insufficiency, finding that the veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his symptoms and examination findings.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations showed no evidence of more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure in the past year, a workload greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope; and left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- aortic insufficiency, aortic valve replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 7, 2002
- Citation
- 0215974
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 0215974.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for aortic insufficiency, aortic stenosis and congestive heart failure, and carotid artery disease. The conditions are related to in-service exposure to toxic substances and stress.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the proposed reduction of his rating for hypertensive heart disease, including valvular heart disease and aortic insufficiency.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for non-rheumatic aortic valve stenosis and aortic valve replacement due to missing treatment records and the need for an opinion on the relationship between these conditions and in-service toxic exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer with urinary incontinence, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), aortic insufficiency, and urothelial carcinoma (bladder cancer) as the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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