The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's anal fissures, artificial heart valve placement, and mycotic aneurysms, as well as whether these conditions are related to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- anal fissures, artificial heart valve placement, mycotic aneurysms
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26018965
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 A26018965.
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 Veteran's anal fissures are granted as secondary to his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The initial rating for IBS is granted at 30 percent. The claim of service connection for hemorrhoids is remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's appeal, finding that his character of discharge from service is a bar to VA benefits due to willful and persistent misconduct. The Board also found no compelling circumstances to mitigate this misconduct.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases of hemorrhoids and anal fissures, as they are inextricably intertwined. The VA examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's hemorrhoids are related to his active service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for vertigo, itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and nasal congestion, coughing, anal bleeding, and anal fissures on a direct basis. A 30 percent rating was also granted for cervical spine degenerative disc disease.
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