The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding the etiology of the appellant's heart disorders. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are congenital defects or diseases, and if they were aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The examiner needs to determine the nature (defect or disease) of the diagnosed heart disorders and assess their relationship with service.
- Claimed conditions
- bicuspid aortic valve, repair of coarctation of aorta
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181612
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 19181612.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart problem, including bicuspid aortic valve and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), as there was no evidence of a current disability that began during service or is related to an in-service injury.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an aortic disorder to include bicuspid aortic valve, aneurysm, and deteriorating valve secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea due to lack of evidence showing that these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder, finding that the Veteran's bicuspid aortic valve and PFO are congenital defects not subject to superimposed disease or injury during service. The coronary artery disease (CAD) is considered a common disease with no correlation to service or chemical exposures.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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