The Board has determined that the Veteran's patent foramen ovale/atriial septal aneurysm is a congenital defect and not service-connected as it did not begin during or was otherwise caused by her active service. The exception to this is a transient ischemic attack (TIA) which she is already in receipt of service-connected benefits for.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PFO/ASA was first identified while in service, but the medical opinion indicated that it is a congenital condition and not caused by or related to military service. The examiner noted that there are no other superimposed diseases associated with the Veteran's PFO/ASA.
- Claimed conditions
- patent foramen ovale, atriial septal aneurysm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2016
- Citation
- 1610072
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 1610072.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of service connection for patent foramen ovale due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for fibromyalgia, which is now granted. The claim for TIA remains denied as there is no current diagnosis of TIA. Service connection for patent foramen ovale is remanded.,The Veteran's petition to reopen her fibromyalgia claim was successful, and she is now entitled to service connection for this condition. However, the denial of service connection for TIA persists due to a lack of current evidence supporting the diagnosis. The issue of service connection for patent foramen ovale remains pending as it requires further examination.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and unclear service connection determination for patent foramen ovale.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities as of April 30, 2012.
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