The Veteran's additional disability is not deemed to be proximately due to VA care, but rather a result of his own medical conditions and events.
The deciding factor: VA did not exercise the degree of care expected from a reasonable health care provider in managing the sternal wound infection post-surgery, leading to complications such as MRSA infection and non-union of the sternum.
- Claimed conditions
- Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, Status post 3-vessel coronary artery bypass graft, Type II diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2013
- Citation
- 1304739
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 1304739.
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 Type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service at Udorn RTAFB and thus meets the criteria for presumptive service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding that his service-connected left ankle disability, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, left knee pain, left hip pain, and loss of use of the left big toe disabilities have caused him to become obese, which in turn led to his development of type II diabetes mellitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to insufficient evidence in the March 2025 decision. The Board requires a medical opinion from CEAT regarding the Veteran's need for personal care services and supervision.
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