The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, including abdominal adhesions and bowel obstruction, was not caused by VA medical treatment, specifically the ultrasound conducted on November 16, 2005. The disorder is believed to be due to his surgical history, which occurred prior to the VA treatment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder was caused by his pre-existing surgical history and not by the VA treatment in November 2005.
- Claimed conditions
- intestinal obstruction, abdominal adhesions
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2014
- Citation
- 1418576
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 1418576.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's cause of death was listed as sepsis, intestinal obstruction, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his ACDUTRA service.
- Denied
The Board denied a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from substantially gainful employment.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, consistent with his history, education, skill and training.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of intestinal surgery, including abdominal adhesions and gall bladder removal; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); a disability of the anus and rectum; rating in excess of 40 percent for duodenal ulcer disease; and compensable rating for residual scar from post-vagotomy and pyloroplasty must be remanded due to incomplete STRs, need for additional medical opinions, and need for VA examinations.
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