The Board has decided that the Veteran's right eye blindness is due to fault related to 2009 VA cataract surgery, but an addendum opinion from a retina specialist is needed to determine causation and whether it was reasonably foreseeable.
The deciding factor: An addendum opinion from a retina specialist is needed to address causation of the Veteran's retinal detachment and/or proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) due to cataract surgery by VA.
- Claimed conditions
- blind right eye
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19187527
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 found that an additional VA opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's cataract surgery caused or contributed to his retinal detachment and/or proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The case is being remanded for this purpose.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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