The Veteran's congenital heart disease (atrial septal defect) clearly and unmistakably preexisted the Veteran's period of active service and was not aggravated by active service.
The deciding factor: Clear and unmistakable evidence shows that the Veteran's congenital heart disease existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service, as determined by a Board of Medical Survey in 1946 and confirmed by medical opinions from a private cardiothoracic surgeon.
- Claimed conditions
- congenital heart disease (atrial septal defect)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2009
- Citation
- 0909332
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,613 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0909332.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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