The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for atrial septal defect status post-surgical repair, ischemic heart disease, and coronary atherosclerosis without stenosis as there was no direct evidence of onset during service or secondary to a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA expert determined that the Veteran's PFO is a congenital defect without a superimposed cardiology condition, and his current diagnosis of CAD is unlikely to have resulted directly from service or secondary to PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- atrial septal defect status post-surgical repair, ischemic heart disease, coronary atherosclerosis without stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2018
- Citation
- 1800901
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 1800901.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board remands the case to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, as the previous opinions were found inadequate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a heart condition, to include ischemic heart disease and/or cardiomyopathy due to cardiac amyloidosis, for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected cardiovascular disability, but denied a higher rating from December 15, 2022, through September 14, 2025.
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