The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease to include as due to exposure to certain herbicide is granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for scars of the chest and left arm as secondary to treatment for ischemic heart disease is granted.,New and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a previously denied claim for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) previously claimed as gas in the abdomen, and this claim is now reopened.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for removal of left testicle is remanded.
The deciding factor: Service connection is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active military service in Thailand.,Scars are attributed to surgeries related to the Veteran’s coronary artery disease, which is a condition presumed related to herbicide exposure.,The VA examiner's opinion indicates that IBS may be related to the Veteran's service due to its onset and continuity of symptoms since service.,The VA examiner's opinion does not address whether removal of the undescended testicle was part of the natural progression of the condition or if it was aggravated by his inguinal hernia.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, scars of the chest and left arm, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), removal of left testicle
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19156740
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 19156740.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as presumptively related to his service in the Gulf War, specifically aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Mataco.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
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