The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and unclear service connection determination for patent foramen ovale.
The deciding factor: The examiner's opinion was based on inaccurate factual premises, and there is a need for further medical evaluation to determine the etiology of the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- patent foramen ovale
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2024
- Citation
- 24004863
Veterans Law Judge
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 24004863.
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 remands the issue of service connection for patent foramen ovale due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Partly granted
New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for fibromyalgia, which is now granted. The claim for TIA remains denied as there is no current diagnosis of TIA. Service connection for patent foramen ovale is remanded.,The Veteran's petition to reopen her fibromyalgia claim was successful, and she is now entitled to service connection for this condition. However, the denial of service connection for TIA persists due to a lack of current evidence supporting the diagnosis. The issue of service connection for patent foramen ovale remains pending as it requires further examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities as of April 30, 2012.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, finding that his patent foramen ovale is not an enumerated disease associated with Agent Orange exposure and that it clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service. The Board also found no evidence of aggravation during service.
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