The Veteran's nasal collapse and resulting breathing issues are caused by the January 2012 VA Mohs surgery with reconstruction, but there is a dispute about whether the proper standard of care was used. The Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain additional medical evidence and opinions.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's current breathing, smelling, and speech disorders are caused by or contributed to by the January 2012 Mohs surgery with reconstruction without further development of the record.
- Claimed conditions
- nasal breathing problems, reduced sense of smell, change in speech
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19130350
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (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 19130350.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for reduced sense of smell, sleep disorder (obstructive sleep apnea), and hearing loss have all been denied. The Board found no evidence to support a current diagnosis or causal relationship between these conditions and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's nasal breathing problems, including a lack of imaging studies and an inadequate medical examination. The case is returned for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the issues of entitlement to service connection for chronic sinusitis, chronic upper respiratory infections, chronic bronchitis, headaches, chronic fatigue, a reduced sense of smell, and a reduced sense of taste.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered additional development due to outstanding medical records and service personnel records.
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