The Veteran's rectal fistula, status post tear repair is granted an initial disability rating of 60 percent. The Veteran's rectum scar associated with rectal fistula status post tear repair is granted a compensable disability rating of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran had occasional involuntary bowel movements and frequent leakage, which met the criteria for a 60% rating under Diagnostic Code 7335-7332. The scar was painful but not unstable or painful enough to warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal fistula, rectum scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- February 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19112055
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,812 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19112055.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's rectal fistula was granted a 10 percent rating from March 30, 2014, and a 30 percent rating from May 10, 2018. The Board denied entitlement to a higher rating for the condition as of September 23, 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected rectal fistula has worsened, requiring him to wear two pairs of underwear and a pad for drainage. The Board finds the March 2020 VA examination inadequate as it did not discuss the Veteran’s flare-ups, and the case is remanded for another examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and failure of the Veteran to provide necessary private medical records. The claim will be returned for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation was remanded due to the lack of loss of use in either lower extremity. The effective date for increased rating Crohn's disease remains January 15, 2008.
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