The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of removal of the stomach and gallbladder due to a gastrointestinal tumor, claimed as due to exposure to ionizing radiation, is being remanded for additional development. The VA will request a dose estimate from the appropriate office of the Department of Defense regarding the Veteran's in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.
The deciding factor: The claim requires further development to determine if the Veteran's residuals of removal of the stomach and gallbladder are related to his in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of removal of the stomach and gallbladder, non-healing benign esophageal ulcer, stomach necrosis, gall stones
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2013
- Citation
- 1313901
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 1313901.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for colon cancer status post-surgery and gall stones, finding no evidence that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's surviving spouse withdrew the claims for service connection for various conditions, including depression, diabetes mellitus type II, diverticulitis, elevated cholesterol, Parkinsonism, gall stones, hypertension, hypothyroidism, chronic kidney disease, kidney stones, osteoarthritis, and pancytopenia.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, high blood pressure, esophageal varices, cirrhosis of the liver, and gall stones. The claims were based on a history of post-service risk factors rather than in-service incidents or injuries.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeal of SMC based on need for aid and attendance. The remaining issues have been remanded for further development.
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