Glaucoma decisions — 2019

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypercholesterolemia and remanded other claims related to his knee, glaucoma, groin rash, peripheral vascular disease, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for updated examinations, additional VA treatment records, and consideration of whether his combined rating meets the requirements for a grant of TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, glaucoma, and partial fusion of the cervical spine are remanded as they require further examination to determine their etiology.,Service connection is denied for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, peripheral vascular disease of the lower left extremity, and peripheral vascular disease of the right lower extremity.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to new and material evidence having been received. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss disability is reopened, but further development is needed to determine its etiology. Other issues are also remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected, and the rating for Dupuytren's contracture of the right hand is remanded. The claims for diabetes mellitus type II, glaucoma, spine disability, and hypertension are also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for left eye traumatic glaucoma on a direct basis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service injury. The decision also addresses whether the glaucoma is secondary to his service-connected chalazion.

The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus, type II is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.,Service connection for an eye disorder including glaucoma and cataracts is denied because the conditions are not shown to be related to service. The earliest documented diagnosis was 9 years after separation from service.,The Veteran's claim for a bilateral shoulder disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. The only mention in STRs were for pseudofolliculitis barbae, not shoulder issues.,Service connection for a left knee disorder is denied because the Veteran did not have any complaints or treatment for such during service and has no current diagnosis.,The claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae is denied as there was no mention of this condition in STRs and no current evidence of a disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, open angle glaucoma, and bilateral leg disorder remain pending. The Board finds that new evidence received since the July 2014 rating decision relates to a previously unestablished question regarding whether the Veteran’s current mental health disorders are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable from April 4, 2010 to June 20, 2016. Effective date for TDIU grant is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral glaucoma has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for glaucoma and cataracts, both secondary to ocular arteriosclerosis. The Veteran's claim is pending further clarification from a VA ophthalmologist.

The Board found that the original decision granting service connection for right eye glaucoma was not clearly erroneous and thus restored service connection. The Veteran's left eye disability is not attributable to service or a service-connected condition.

The appeals for service connection for left knee replacement, glaucoma, sleep apnea, polyps in the colon, and right knee arthritis are dismissed. Service connection is granted for residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right knee. The appeals for service connection for hypertension and heart disability are remanded.

The effective date for the grant of service connection for left eye cataract with glaucoma is denied. The case for numbness affecting the left side of the head is remanded.

The Board denied an initial rating higher than 10 percent for right knee chondromalacia patella and granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee arthritis. The claims for service connection for CFS, left knee disorder, diabetes mellitus (DM), glaucoma as due to DM, and asthma were all denied.