The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a separate award of service connection for residuals of an appendectomy, to include chronic abdominal pain and bowel disturbance, for further evidentiary development.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided in the August 2022 VA medical opinions failed to adequately address the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset and continuation of his symptoms since the in-service appendectomy.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of an appendectomy, to include chronic abdominal pain and bowel disturbance
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2024
- Citation
- 24002090
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.
- Dismissed
The issues of increased ratings for residuals of an appendectomy and appendectomy scars were dismissed due to a procedural error in the form used by the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for an additional medical opinion to address the Veteran's contentions regarding negligence during surgeries.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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