The Veteran's duodenal ulcer disease is currently rated at the maximum allowable under Diagnostic Code 7305, and a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's superficial scar status post excision of left knee cyst is currently rated at the minimum allowable under Diagnostic Code 7804, as it does not meet the criteria for an increased rating. The Veteran has another scar in his left lower extremity that is not painful or unstable.,The Veteran's residual scar of the left lower extremity due to a total knee replacement is currently rated at the minimum allowable under Diagnostic Code 7805, as it does not meet the criteria for an increased rating. The Veteran has another scar in his left lower extremity that is not painful or unstable.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a higher rating for duodenal ulcer disease due to the current disability picture and the maximum allowable under Diagnostic Code 7305.,The evidence does not support an increased rating for superficial scar status post excision of left knee cyst as it is currently rated at the minimum allowable under Diagnostic Code 7804, with no painful or unstable scars meeting the criteria for a higher rating.,The evidence does not support an increased rating for residual scar of the left lower extremity due to total knee replacement as it is currently rated at the minimum allowable under Diagnostic Code 7805, with no painful or unstable scars meeting the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- duodenal ulcer disease, superficial scar status post excision of left knee cyst, residual scar of the left lower extremity due to a total knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2023
- Citation
- 23000189
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 23000189.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions on whether the inguinal hernia is related to service or if it was aggravated by a pre-existing duodenal ulcer disease.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected duodenal ulcer disease and incisional abdominal hernia prevented him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment for the period prior to December 16, 2016. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to the combined effect of his disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for a higher disability rating in excess of 60 percent and an earlier effective date prior to May 13, 2013, were dismissed as the Veteran did not have any pending claims at the time of his death.
- Denied
The Board has denied a higher rating for duodenal ulcer disease and a compensable rating for prostatitis, finding that the Veteran's conditions do not meet the criteria for these ratings based on the evidence of record.
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