The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and a need for further examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's fistula in ano and/or impairment of sphincter control associated with internal and external hemorrhoids.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for substantial compliance with previous remand directives, which has not been met. The case requires another VA examination to address the specified evidence from the adjudicative history.
- Claimed conditions
- fistula in ano, impairment of sphincter control
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20067374
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (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 20067374.
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 Veteran's initial ratings for allergic rhinitis, ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, and impairment of sphincter control were remanded due to a failure by the AOJ to provide notice of his right to a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for pruritus ani, hemorrhoids, and impairment of sphincter control are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the severity of these conditions without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for sleep apnea was denied, and his claim for TDIU was granted. The Board found that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for voiding dysfunction and impairment of sphincter control, both as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine L5-S1 with bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
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