The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of a tumor removal surgery is remanded due to inadequate opinion and missing records.
The deciding factor: The Board found the April 2017 VA examiner’s opinion inadequate and new evidence is needed, including obtaining consent forms and operative reports from VA and private treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatitis, scar, adenocarcinoma of the rectum including peritonitis laparotomy and volvulus/lysis of adhesion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2020
- Citation
- 20040141
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 20040141.
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 asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for pancreatitis was granted with a 30% rating, effective November 15, 2023. The Veteran also received service connection for migraines and left ankle sprain with tendinitis, both rated at 30% and 20%, respectively, effective the same date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection of pancreatitis is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service-connected psychiatric disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
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