The Board found that the veteran's symptoms, including occasional loose and explosive bowel movements, incontinence, anemia, dysphagia, intermittent heartburn, extensive esophageal ulcerations and edema with hiatal hernia but no stricture, do not warrant a higher rating than 40 percent for residuals of gastric surgery.
The deciding factor: The veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under Diagnostic Codes 7308 or 7346 due to lack of severe impairment of health and other specific symptom combinations required for higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- gastric surgery, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, Barrett type tissue
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 27, 2003
- Citation
- 0303449
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,458 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0303449.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate development of her exposure history and lack of adequate medical opinions. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted with an effective date of March 15, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial disability rating for migraine headaches has been granted at 50 percent. The issue of service connection for hiatal hernia and esophagitis, related to PTSD, is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia is rated at a 30 percent disability rating, effective March 12, 2021.
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