The Veteran's service-connected pancreatitis with gallbladder removal is being remanded for a more contemporaneous VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.
The deciding factor: Further development is needed due to the significant time gap since the last VA examination, which may indicate a worsening of the disability.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatitis, gallbladder removal
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19160400
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 19160400.
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 granted service connection for pancreatitis, GERD, and a dental disorder as secondary to the Veteran's throat cancer, but denied an initial compensable rating for throat cancer under DC 6819. The Board also granted a 20 percent rating for urinary frequency as a residual of prostate cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for pancreatitis as there was no evidence of a recurring attack of typical severe abdominal pain or episodes requiring ongoing outpatient medical treatment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for payment or reimbursement of non-VA medical care related to ovarian cancer, thyroid cancer, stroke, brain aneurysm, migraines, renal cysts, and gallbladder removal under the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program due to a lack of adequate notice and development.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 50 percent rating for the Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver with portal hypertension, Wilson's disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and pancreatitis based on a history of one episode of hemorrhage from portal gastropathy.
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