Deep Vein Thrombosis/vericose Veins/vascular Disease

[USNDW]

A good friend of mine has a current 10% for what the VA called anticagulation condition, unspecified.

What he had was Deep Vein Thrombosis, and now he has to take Coumadin every day. This occured in-service and is in his medical records for while he was in service. He also was diagnosed with, and obviously has vericose veins, and was also told during an ultrasound that he had vascular disease.

He is a Gulf War Veteran and all of these conditions happened after his deployment there.

Question: Any guesses to what his ratings would be

DVT Right leg-Constant swelling/Edema, Stasis pigmentation with ulcerations, Swelling never completely subsides even after a night in bed, Pain which also is never relieved.

Left leg- Swelling when sitting, standing, walking/ Stasis pigmentation/ Persistant pain, mostly relieved after a night in bed.

Vericose Veins Right leg-Clearly visible, aching/pain in right calf, Tingling sensation in lower leg and feet/

Vascular disease Right & Left leg-Pins & needles in lower legs and feet, aching feet, loss of hair.

Can these 3 ratings be present at the same time? Or is it a case of one, or 2 that can be combined?

If he can show that these conditions were present during service, and the VA had the records necessary to correctly rate the conditions (which were the same then as they are now) but only rated him at 10%, could this claim be requested to have an earlier effective date based on material evidince? He never appealed the rating. Or could this be a CUE?

If the VA did not have the records in their possesion in 2005 because they never attempted to get a copy of the records, but the Veteran listed where & when he was treated, what he was treated for, would this be a CUE?

Thank you

[jbasser]

I dont know the thrombosis ratings. but here is the varicose vein ratings. It does sound like he meets 100 percent criteria.

7120 Varicose veins:

With the following findings attributed to the effects of varicose veins: Massive board-like edema with constant pain at rest 100

Persistent edema or subcutaneous induration, stasis pigmentation or eczema, and persistent ulceration 60

Persistent edema and stasis pigmentation or eczema, with or without intermittent ulceration 40

Persistent edema, incompletely relieved by elevation of extremity, with or without beginning stasis pigmentation or eczema 20

Intermittent edema of extremity or aching and fatigue in leg after prolonged standing or walking, with symptoms relieved by elevation of extremity or compression hosiery 10

J

[USNDW]

Thanks.

I need to find out if he can be rated for 2 of these 3 combined, or even all 3. With no pyramiding I don't think he can get all 3 rated, but I am hoping we can get 2 seperate ratings out of this.

[retiredat44]

I have Portal vein thrombosis, then Splenic vein thrombosis with ncreatizing pancreatitis. I had hypertention and intestinal disease on active duty along with hospitalization for gastritis. I also now had Glaucoma in the left eye and had catracts in both eyes, then the right eye the catracts were operated on, and the pancreas surgery wetn bad for a cyst, and infection set in..

As far as the thrombsis. yesterday I had a scope put down my my esophagos to see if the thrombosis was causing damaged and swelling and breagke of the viens in there... it turned out ok for now.

The thrombosis is hell.. and has caused me lots of grief and almost caused my life. It's a bad situtation.

the edema was very bad on active duty and was outrageously bad while hospitalized, I have suffered from edema for many, many years... I had to take diaretics and the va gave me a special electric bed to tillt to help drain fluid in my limbs..

not sure what my rating will be after my appeals go through, I am stlil awaiting the decision for the dro hearing last year...

Edited June 19, 2011 by retiredat44

[USNDW]

Appreciate the info, thanks