jlottmc

What if the VA doesn't know about the outside surgery? We are having it done through a civilian Orthopedic doctor. We are debating about whether to try to ask them to pay for the outside surgery or just letting it be and not asking them to pay for it. We are afraid they will decrease his compensation. He got his DC in 2003 and he has never been to the VA since due to us being in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and they are the worst or one of the worst in the nation for VA service.

I have a disability compensation of 30% for my shoulder that was injured in the service. I did have a shoulder dislocation before I joined but it was on my enlistment papers and they knew about it. The DC is for the shoulder and what they originally DX as narrowing of the subcromial space in my shoulder. Along with this I also have nerve damage and am taking medication for this on a daily basis. I have been to numerous doctors and have finally found an orthopedic doctor that has said she can fix this by surgery and said it is bicep tendonesis. She will have to put a pin in my shoulder and she thinks this will fix it, but not sure if the nerve pain will go away. I have will extensive Physical Therapy. If they fix my shoulder, which is being done by the civilian doctor, can the VA come back and recoup all that money? Can they reduce my disability compensation? We'd like to get them to pay for the surgery even with it being done at a civilian hospital as an outpatient basis. Will they do that or does the surgery have to be done by the VA? Thanks and your help is much appreciated.