The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of her bilateral ovarian cysts is remanded. The VA must secure an addendum opinion addressing whether the lesions of the anterior and posterior cul-de-sacs approximate lesions involving the bowel or bladder, and whether the Veteran has any bladder symptoms related to endometriosis.
The deciding factor: The April 2022 VA examiner's report is insufficient for a determination on the higher evaluation claim due to conflicting answers regarding the laparoscopy and lack of addressing specific criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- dyspareunia, bilateral ovarian cysts, ovarian cyst removal, adhesions, endometriosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22045712
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 22045712.
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 Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for adhesions as secondary to irritable bowel syndrome, finding that there was no nexus between the claimed condition and service or a service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hemorrhagic ovarian cysts and denied service connection for endometriosis.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for gynecological disorders, including endometrial ovarian cysts, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia is granted. The effective date is set at June 5, 2019.
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