The Veteran's esophageal spasm disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board found no evidence of severe stricture that would warrant a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show severe stricture of the esophagus, which is required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7203.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal spasm, non-specific esophageal motility disorder, hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- May 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19137938
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 32% (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 19137938.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of February 18, 2020, for the grant of service connection for esophageal spasm. The decision stated that since the claim was filed more than one year after separation from active service, the earliest effective date allowed under law is the date of receipt of the formal claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery for GERD with Barrett's esophagitis and esophageal spasm required at least one month of convalescence, meeting the criteria for a temporary total disability rating (100%). The Board found that the surgery was appropriate treatment for his service-connected condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and lack of current diagnoses for some conditions. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the etiology of his bilateral knee, shoulder, and esophageal spasm disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's esophageal spasm disability, finding that it results in moderate impairment but not worse.
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