The Veteran's claim for disability compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is being remanded as there are inconsistencies in the evidence regarding whether he sustained additional disability as a result of VA treatment, particularly during his right knee surgery in October 2004.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's condition was not caused by or aggravated beyond natural progression by the right knee surgical procedure or associated anesthesia. However, some aspect of his previously undiagnosed paroxysmal atrial fibrillation may have been aggravated by the stress and related catecholamine response during surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1734625
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 1734625.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's request for an extension of time to file a Board Appeal request was denied, and the attempted appeal is dismissed because the December 22, 2025, request was not timely filed.
- Granted
Service connection for diabetes mellitus Type II is granted. The Board also found that service connection should be granted for hypertension and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation as secondary to the Veteran's diabetes mellitus.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for neuropathy, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and gastrointestinal condition including colon polyps and diverticulitis as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability or its onset during active duty.
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