The Veteran's GERD with Barrett’s esophagus and a cholecystectomy have been granted service connection, but the RO has not assigned an appropriate rating. The Veteran asserts that his gastrointestinal disabilities have increased in severity since he was last examined by VA.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported worsening symptoms of dysphagia, pyrosis, regurgitation, vomiting, melena, and other symptoms such as voice changes, irregular bowel habits, hemorrhoids, and stomach cramps. The Veteran's spouse also reported that the Veteran suffers from these issues at work.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, cholecystectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19170980
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 19170980.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion and a need for further examination.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is granted, and the appeal to restore a 40% rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc other than IVDS, central canal stenosis, and scoliosis prior to June 1, 2024 is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically failing to obtain an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his accidental drowning death.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 10 percent for GERD, effective May 31, 2019. The Veteran's GERD is currently manifested by infrequent episodes of epigastric distress and pyrosis.
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