The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for subtotal colectomy, deep thrombosis hemorrhoids, and anal fissures. However, further medical opinions are needed before a decision can be made on these reopened claims.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, particularly in relation to their onset and relationship to military service or any service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- subtotal colectomy, deep thrombosis hemorrhoids, anal fissures
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2022
- Citation
- 22061704
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 22061704.
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 anal fissures are granted as secondary to his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The initial rating for IBS is granted at 30 percent. The claim of service connection for hemorrhoids is remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's appeal, finding that his character of discharge from service is a bar to VA benefits due to willful and persistent misconduct. The Board also found no compelling circumstances to mitigate this misconduct.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases of hemorrhoids and anal fissures, as they are inextricably intertwined. The VA examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's hemorrhoids are related to his active service.
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