The Veteran's throat disability is being remanded for an addendum opinion to determine if it was caused by his active service or aggravated (chronically worsened) by his gastrointestinal disability. The Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, including duodenal ulcer, postgastrectomy syndrome, bile reflux gastritis and hiatal hernia with gastrointestinal reflux disorder, is also being remanded for an addendum opinion to address the severity of the condition, the cause of weight loss, and whether he has anemia.,The Veteran's service-connected conditions are currently rated as 20 percent disabling. The Veteran asserts that his symptoms are more severe than what is contemplated by this rating.
The deciding factor: An addendum opinion is required to determine the cause of the Veteran's weight loss and whether he has anemia, which are critical factors for a maximum rating under DC 7305 (duodenal ulcer), DC 7308 (postgastrectomy syndromes) and DC 7346 (hiatal hernia).,An addendum opinion is also required to address the severity of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, its cause, and whether it has caused material weight loss as well as anemia.
- Claimed conditions
- Throat disability, Gastrointestinal disability (including duodenal ulcer, postgastrectomy syndrome, bile reflux gastritis and hiatal hernia with gastrointestinal reflux disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2021
- Citation
- 21028478
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 21028478.
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 decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete medical records and insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of her claimed disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient development and examination. The Veteran's symptoms of pain are being evaluated, along with his service records.
- Denied
The VA denied compensation for additional gastroesophageal disabilities and throat disability as a result of the January 2009 EGD procedure due to lack of evidence supporting an additional disability or aggravation caused by VA care.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of service connection for memory loss is dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal of a rating in excess of 100 percent for PTSD is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim to reopen the issue of service connection for dermatitis is granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for atopic dermatitis.,The Veteran's appeals of service connection for glaucoma and cataracts are remanded.,The Veteran's appeal of a rating in excess of 20 percent for his throat disability is remanded.,The Veteran's appeals of service connection for a throat disability, glaucoma, and cataracts are remanded.
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