The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied service connection claim for erectile dysfunction as secondary to PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder is granted. The Board finds that a remand is necessary due to deficiencies in the February 2020 VA examiner's opinion.,The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied service connection claim for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder is granted. The Board finds that a remand is necessary due to deficiencies in the February 2020 VA examiner's opinion.
The deciding factor: The February 2020 VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for her opinions regarding whether the Veteran's erectile dysfunction was aggravated by his service-connected disability of PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder, nor did she consider the Veteran's in-service toxic exposure risk activity.,The February 2020 VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for her opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea was caused by his service in Bahrain from October 1999 through February 2000, nor did she consider the synergistic effect of all toxic exposure risk activities during his service.
- Claimed conditions
- Erectile Dysfunction, Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2023
- Citation
- 23065944
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 23065944.
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 denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
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