The Board remands the claim for service connection for gallbladder disease, status-post cholecystectomy, to obtain an additional medical opinion that adequately addresses the Veteran's reported 10 years of intervening GI symptoms between 1973 and 1982.
The deciding factor: The August 2021 VA examiner did not adequately address all components of the Board's remand directives related to this claim, particularly whether the Veteran's reported 10 years of intervening GI symptoms between 1973 and 1982 showed any linkage of gallstones to service.
- Claimed conditions
- gallbladder disease, status-post cholecystectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25053274
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's Crohn's disease, with status-post cholecystectomy, chronic cholecystitis, gallstone pancreatitis, and status-post resection of small intestine.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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