The Board remands the issue of service connection for patent foramen ovale due to an inadequate medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The opinion provided does not adequately address whether the patent foramen ovale is a congenital disease or defect, and if it was incurred in active service.
- Claimed conditions
- patent foramen ovale
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- 25005575
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.