The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The Veteran's IBS diagnosis is from a private gastroenterologist within one year after separation from service in 1987. The VA examiner will need to determine if the Veteran's subjective symptoms since 2010 support a diagnosis of IBS while his prior symptoms did not. For the acquired psychiatric disorder, the VA examiner will need to identify any current mental health diagnoses and determine their relationship to military service.
The deciding factor: The Board is remanding these cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions and the need for additional medical opinions and verification of in-service stressors.
- Claimed conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Acquired psychiatric disorder, to include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2022
- Citation
- 22002366
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 22002366.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right knee meniscal tear, and IBS, have rendered him unable to secure or follow any substantially gainful employment from May 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021. The Board finds that the evidence is in balance, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for his IBS, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a moderate or severe condition as defined by VA regulations.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial 20 percent rating for service-connected vitamin D deficiency, finding that the Veteran's recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea most closely approximates the criteria for a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6313. The claim for service connection for IBS was not addressed in this decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's IBS with GERD was granted an initial 60 percent rating. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and development.
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