The Board has determined that the April 2010 VA examination report is inadequate and requires clarification regarding the Veteran's GERD and bowel spasms. The case is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to address her gastrointestinal complaints.
The deciding factor: The April 2010 VA examiner provided an opinion regarding the Veteran's GERD but did not address her intestinal complaints or the private diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The Board finds that clarification is required and a new examination is needed to determine if any current digestive disabilities are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2011
- Citation
- 1112284
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 1112284.
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 decided to remand the case due to a lack of rationale in the VA examiner's opinion and an inconsistency between the examination report and nexus opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is granted a rating of 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating under Diagnostic Code 7319. Service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to service connected tinnitus and PTSD is also granted.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of May 19, 2024, for a separate 10 percent rating for GERD. The decision states that prior to this date, ratings for GERD and Irritable Bowel Syndrome could not be combined due to VA regulations at the time.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 1, 2025, for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not show that he was precluded from employment solely due to his service-connected conditions.
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