Connecting Husband's Heart Condition

[KHJH]

My husband received a copy of his claim file today.

He was discharged from great lakes Naval hospital on 11/2/1970 for injuries from a land mine explosion.

He was found unfit for duty and received 30% S/C for back hip and Knee injuries. I was going over his records and it looks like they called him back for a C&P on 6/30/1971. These remarks were on the C&P report:

2 M Chestogram, pa and lateral views 6/30/71, shows no consolidative lesion. Heart shadow apears abnormal in that the aortic knob is hypoplastic, (small) and there is prominence of the main pulmonary artery (convex border instead of concave) and there is suggestion of some increased roundness of the left ventricle without any evidence of cardiac enlargement. One should rule out possibilities: 1. Aortic valvular disease? 2. Bronchial asthma? lung fields show no hperaeration or any depressed diaphragm and peribronchial markings are within normal limits.

My husband had a massive heart attack in 1990 and quaddruple bypass. Would he be able S/C his heart condition with this report form his C&P in 1971. I was thinking that any medical problems diagnosed within a year after discharge was S/C. He was never told about these remarks or told to follow up on them.

KH

[wallyg]

Not very likely!

But, you really need to consult a Cardiologist, to be sure.

[Guest Jim S.]

Don't be so negative Wallyg, LoL but you are right, he will need a IMO as to whether the findings in the C&P may have had some effect on the heart attack and bypass. It will mean money out of your pocket, since your not likely to get this type of written opinion from a VA Dr. You will probably need CT scans or MRI scans to help with your claim. If he was a smoker, they would use that against him as well as if he drank on a regular basis, not to the extent of being a problem, but more so than a drink now and again.

He dffinately should look for an IMO and from a specialist.

Jim S. B)

[Testvet]

most bypasses are caused by artherisclerotic heart disease clogged arteries LOL. which can be aggravated by PTSD and if he has hypertension that can also be aggravted by PTSD, has he ever been CHECKED for PTSD, there is a lot of literature available that states that PTSD is linked to artherisclerotic heart probelsm and hypertension here are some of the links National Center for PTSD and here

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~cfigley/vets/docume...IN2900-AM09.pdf

You might want to check out if he does have PTSD you did say he was in a land mine explosion, that sound slikem a stressor for PTSD to me, but then I am not a shrink and I really think your husband needs to see one.

[Guest Berta]

Did he have inservice High blood pressure?

Does he have all of his service medical records?

Under previous post I listed the presumptive criteria-

Mike is right- did he show signs of atherosclerosis via CT or MRI?

Was this report you mentioned from assessing an ECHO?

arteriosclerosis, (small artery involvement often stated as grouped under Atherosclerosis)

and cardovascular-renal disease including hypertension- are presumptive chronic conditions-under 38 CFR 3.309 (a)

that is they are considered presumptive if the evidence shows that they manifested themselves at a degree of 10% or more within a year after separation from service- unless MS- 7 years and TB -3 years.

The medical records from his 1990 heart attack and bypass might reveal this as a progressive condition from the 1971 report findings.

Did he have continuous cardiac care for all those years?

Did he have any form of renal disease (kidneys) within one year after his discharge?

[KHJH]

My husband was 30% S/C when he was discharged. He is now 80% IU P&T. For: Chronic Lumbosacral strain with painful left hip. Chondromalacia left knee & PTSD. If he was able to get his heart condition service connected it would not be any more money but it would probably help out with DIC if he was to die before his 10 years as IU P&T which he as been for about 1 1/2 years.

To answer everyones's questions:

I don't think he had high blood pressure in service according to some of his SMR's, but I'm not sure he received all his SMR's. Someone else's SMR's were mixed in with my husbands when we received them, so maybe some of my husbands are in the other persons file.

I'm not sure what test they did for the report I posted. It is a radiographic Report. The examination requested on the form was: Lumbosacral, left hip & knee. Chest PA & LAT.

He did not have cardiac care between the years 1971 & 1990. He was not told anything about these findings during the C&P and did not know he had heart problems until his heart attack in 1990. If he had known about this maybe his heart would not be in the condition it is today.

The C&P was 8 months after he was discharged. If the findings were correct shouldn't his heart be connected since it was less than a year after discharge? Also shouldn't they have told him he could have heart problems.

Thanks for any advise

KH

[Guest Berta]

In the 21 years after his service was he being treated by the VA at all?

"He did not have cardiac care between the years 1971 & 1990. He was not told anything about these findings during the C&P" Was he getting any medical care at all from the VA?

If he was and the VA medical records show any evidence of heart disease, even if he was unaware of it, he could possibly file a Section 1151 claim-

If he was successful on this type of claim- which would contain a VA admission of medical error, and then if he died due to the same heart condition, this would set up a DIC award for you-

The VA X -rays of heart are often useless-

This medical evidence would depend on ECGs, (the actual strips should be in the VA medical records) that could reveal impaired systolic /diastolic dysfunction , ST depressions, abnormal T waves,prolonged Q-T intervals- etc , a full ECHO report and a narrative of the findings to include ejection fraction, and any Chemistry reports that could signify potential heart disease- such as abnormally high triglycerides -etc.

A veteran with years of VA treatment and then sudden significant heart damage, would most likely find some evidence in his VA medical records of this condition, some Red Flags that doctors should have taken note of.

I am not a doctor. When my husband collapsed and died while I gave him CPR,I was in shock to learn he had died with significant heart disease.The VA had treated him for 6 years and never diagnosed him with CAD disease.

By way of the autopsy and his complete VA medical records I proved to VA he had heart disease,that they knew it, and they had numerous opportunities to treat it and never did.

I receive DIC under Section 1151 as I proved their medical errors caused his death.

Edited January 29, 2006 by Berta