The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional medical opinions and examinations to address the nature, etiology, severity, and service connection of his gastrointestinal disorder, urinary dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and lumbar spondylosis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy from February 28, 2013 to September 1, 2016. The appeal is remanded as additional medical opinions and examinations are needed to address the Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, urinary dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and lumbar spondylosis.
- Claimed conditions
- Erectile Dysfunction, Gastrointestinal Disorder (including Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Fecal Incontinence), Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Urinary Dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19154482
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 19154482.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted a 30 percent disability rating since November 29, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition, without considering the ameliorative effects of any medication he uses.
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