The Board denied service connection for pacemaker placement and aortic valve replacement due to service or service-connected disabilities, but remanded the issue of service connection for kidney stones resulting in loss of left kidney function.
The deciding factor: The Board found negative VA opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s pacemaker placement and aortic valve replacement. The highly probative VHA opinion from a medical expert found that it was less likely than not that his pacemaker placement and aortic valve replacement were caused by his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- pacemaker placement, aortic valve replacement, kidney stones resulting in loss of left kidney function
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19114414
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,960 · Granted: 36% (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 19114414.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for non-rheumatic aortic valve stenosis and aortic valve replacement due to missing treatment records and the need for an opinion on the relationship between these conditions and in-service toxic exposure.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for aortic valve replacement since December 21, 2021 was granted. The claim for a compensable rating for the midline chest scar was denied. Other issues were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and aortic valve replacement as secondary to coronary artery disease are remanded due to the need for a VA opinion regarding exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of aortic valve replacement and heart murmur was denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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