The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his bilateral dry eye syndrome, left ankle tendinitis and peroneal brevis tendon tear with avulsion fracture and arthritis, and left ankle ganglion cyst removal scar and open reduction and fixation residual scar should be remanded due to the need for additional examination and consideration of newly submitted VA outpatient treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims require further evaluation as there is new evidence that has not been considered by the RO. Specifically, recent VA outpatient treatment records from January 2015 for the Veteran’s eyes and February 2017 VA examinations for his left ankle and scar need to be reviewed in light of the Veteran's appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral dry eye syndrome, left ankle tendinitis and peroneal brevis tendon tear with avulsion fracture and arthritis, left ankle ganglion cyst removal scar and open reduction and fixation residual scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19171876
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 19171876.
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 Veteran's bilateral dry eye syndrome is rated at a 20 percent rating, but no higher. The disability requires treatment with artificial tears and meets the criteria for a bilateral disorder of the lacrimal apparatus under Diagnostic Code 6099-6025.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral dry eye syndrome, finding that there is not a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service. The evidence does not support a nexus to in-service exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate eye examination and new evidence received since the last decision.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral dry eye syndrome, finding that there is no medical evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active military service.
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