Glaucoma decisions — 2024

The Board granted an increased initial rating of 70 percent for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, and insomnia disorder, but denied higher ratings or service connection for other conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of headaches, diabetes and glaucoma due to procedural issues and the need for additional medical examination.

The Board granted service connection for left eye glaucoma with vision loss, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether it is etiologically related to exposure to toxic chemicals during active duty service.

The Veteran's open-angle glaucoma requires continuous medication for treatment, and the current rating of 10 percent is considered appropriate based on this requirement.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person was denied in an August 2021 rating decision. The Board found that legal entitlement to this benefit did not arise prior to February 11, 2019, and thus no earlier effective date is warranted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right eye glaucoma, but granted service connection for schizoaffective type disorder/schizophrenia.

The Board denied a compensable rating for sensorineural bilateral hearing loss and remanded multiple service connection claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent rating and total disability rating based on individual unemployability, as the evidence did not support an earlier date of entitlement.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic conjunctivitis and bilateral open angle glaucoma have resulted in a TDIU effective August 23, 2019. Additionally, the Veteran has SMC at the housebound rate since that date due to his single disability rated as 100% disabling.

The Board has found multiple pre-decisional duty to assist errors and has remanded the claims for further development.

The claims for service connection for hypertensive vascular disease (hypertension), dissociative disorder (multiple personalities) (passive aggressive personality disorder), glaucoma, and cerebral infarction, claimed as stroke, are dismissed. The claim for cerebral infarction is remanded.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for left eye glaucoma and remanded the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disability.

The Veteran's gynecological disability, including ovarian cysts and hysterectomy, is granted as service-connected.,Her hypertension secondary to the hysterectomy is also granted as service-connected.,However, her bilateral glaucoma with pain is denied.

The Board has found that another remand is necessary to ensure there is a complete record on which to decide the claim for noncongestive glaucoma, including obtaining missing VA treatment records and scheduling an examination to assess the extent of disfigurement caused by the bleb resulting from the Veteran's glaucoma surgery.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for major depression with anxiety disorder was denied, and the claim for TDIU prior to April 30, 2015, was granted.