The Veteran's appeal for service connection of his eye disability, which includes bilateral dry eye syndrome and glaucoma suspect, is remanded due to the need for a VA examination by an ophthalmologist to determine if there are residuals from the in-service PRK surgery that are more than the usual effects of the surgery.
The deciding factor: The Board finds the previous opinion inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran's testimony regarding his post-surgery symptoms and the examiner's failure to discuss whether glaucoma suspect is related to the in-service PRK surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral dry eye syndrome, Glaucoma suspect
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2022
- Citation
- 22003880
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 22003880.
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 bilateral dry eye syndrome is rated at a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6025, the maximum available for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection for alopecia areata is dismissed. The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral dry eye syndrome with vision impairment scars are remanded due to a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the grant of service connection for bilateral dry eye syndrome was improper due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE), and thus, the appeal is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including inadequate VA examinations and ineffective assignment of an effective date. A new VA examination is required to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral dry eye syndrome and cataracts, with a focus on whether a separate compensable rating for dry eye syndrome is warranted.
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