The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with the previous remand directives regarding service connection for the Veteran's heart problems. The case is being returned to the RO for further development, including obtaining an advisory medical opinion from a VA C&P cardiologist or another qualified specialist.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for additional development and clarification of the service connection claim due to previous remand directives not being fully complied with.
- Claimed conditions
- aortic insufficiency, atherosclerotic heart disease status post myocardial infarction with heart valve replacement and AICD placement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19193996
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19193996.
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 has granted service connection for aortic insufficiency, aortic stenosis and congestive heart failure, and carotid artery disease. The conditions are related to in-service exposure to toxic substances and stress.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the proposed reduction of his rating for hypertensive heart disease, including valvular heart disease and aortic insufficiency.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer with urinary incontinence, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), aortic insufficiency, and urothelial carcinoma (bladder cancer) as the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart condition, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service. The decision also acknowledges that the Veteran's PTSD may have contributed to his heart conditions.
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