The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on status post cholecystectomy residuals (Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome) with GERD and Brucellosis are being remanded due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the nature of her symptoms and their relationship to service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: There is not enough current medical evidence to determine whether the Veteran's IBS-like symptoms are related to her gallbladder removal or if they represent a residual disability from Brucellosis. The VA examiner was unable to distinguish between symptoms attributable to the service-connected condition and those that may be due to other conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Status Post Cholecystectomy Residuals (Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome) with GERD, Brucellosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2023
- Citation
- 23045862
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 23045862.
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.
- Denied
The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of a bacterial infection, including brucellosis or CPE, at any time during the pendency or in close proximity to filing the service connection claim. The Veteran's symptoms were attributed to other conditions such as thyroid issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for service-connected Brucellosis and status post cholecystectomy (claimed as gallbladder removal) are remanded due to the need for new examinations to assess the severity of her disabilities.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have chronic fatigue syndrome, Brucellosis, or a psychiatric disability to include PTSD. The claims for these conditions are denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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