The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome with gastroesophageal reflux disease has not been manifested by symptoms of vomiting, material weight loss, hematemesis or melena with moderate anemia; or other symptoms combinations productive of severe impairment of health.,The Veteran's postoperative chorioretinitis and early cataracts have not been shown to warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent.
The deciding factor: The current level of disability does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7319, as there is no evidence of vomiting, material weight loss, hematemesis or melena with moderate anemia; or other symptom combinations productive of severe impairment of health.
- Claimed conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Postoperative Chorioretinitis and Early Cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2015
- Citation
- 1552154
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 1552154.
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).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted a higher initial 30 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) from January 3, 2018 to May 19, 2024, but denied an earlier effective date for service connection of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Whole decision: Denied
The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right and left ankle sprains, as well as his irritable bowel syndrome with gastroesophageal reflux disease. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet criteria warranting a higher rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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