The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left eye injury due to VA cataract surgery in September 2011, finding that the Veteran's decreased visual acuity was not caused by the surgery but rather by his pre-existing Fuchs Dystrophy and diabetic retinopathy.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the primary surgeon was supervised by an experienced physician and that the amount of cortex left in the Veteran's eye after the cataract surgery was 'miniscule' and not uncommon, thus not causing the decreased vision experienced by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye injury, Fuchs Dystrophy, diabetic retinopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21072604
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 21072604.
What this means for you
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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 remanded the claims for asthma, hypertension with residuals including stroke, DM II, bilateral amputation of all toes, and diabetic neuropathy to obtain VA medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.,The Board also remanded the claim for ED as it is inextricably intertwined with the DM II claim.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy were denied. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his symptoms, including his need for eye injections to treat his diabetic retinopathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding various service connection claims and rating determinations due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.
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