The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's dysphagia and his service-connected tongue condition. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if his current dysphagia is related to his active service or caused by his service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous medical opinions were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran’s STRs and the January 2010 finding of anatomic and physiologic changes due to his right partial glossectomy and status post chemoradiation.
- Claimed conditions
- dysphagia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147471
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for dysphagia and remanded the claims for residuals from a colon tumor, gallbladder removal, papillary urethral carcinoma, and heart disability due to potential exposure to herbicide agents and ionizing radiation.
- Granted
The Veteran's dysphagia, diaphragmatic hernia without obstruction or gangrene, and GERD were granted a 30 percent rating from June 30, 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all service connection claims for additional development, including obtaining a TERA memorandum and new medical opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, deviated nasal septum, and kidney stones while denying service connection for hearing loss, dyspepsia, left thumb ganglion, right wrist pain, left wrist pain, and allergic rhinitis. The Board also granted an increased rating of 30 percent for tension headaches.
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