The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected upper and lower digestive tract disorders is being remanded to the RO for further development, including a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The case requires additional medical evaluation to determine if the veteran's symptoms can be differentiated between upper and lower gastrointestinal issues.
- Claimed conditions
- esophagitis, gastritis, small bowel adhesion with partial obstruction, status post duodenotomy for carcinoid tumor, history of hiatal hernia and healed surgical scar, status post Nissen fundoplication, status post partial cecectomy and cholecystectomy, colonic polyposis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 11, 2004
- Citation
- 0421977
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 0421977.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 case due to unclear evidence regarding the diagnosis of gastritis and its relation to service. The Veteran needs to provide records, and a VA examiner will review his medical history and determine if gastritis is related to his military service or any other conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's gastritis and esophageal stricture are granted as service-connected.
- 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.
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