Citation Nr: 21008757 Decision Date: 02/18/21 Archive Date: 02/18/21 DOCKET NO. 15-27 470 DATE: February 18, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for abdominal disabilities, to include a ventral hernia and/or diastasis recti, is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from May 1999 to September 2003. This case comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal of a August 2013 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). This claim was previously remanded in September 2020 for an addendum opinion to the January 2020 VA examination. The January 2020 VA examiner included a notation in the disability benefits questionnaire that the Veteran was diagnosed with a ventral hernia in 2000, but later stated no documentation existed in the file to support a ventral hernia diagnosis in-service. Additionally, the January 2020 VA examiner also stated that the Veteran’s condition began after heavy lifting in 2000. Part of the September 2020 remand directives requested that the examiner consider the service treatment records, specifically January 20, 2000, July 10, 2001, and September 11, 2011. The Veteran was afforded an addendum opinion in September 2020. In the addendum opinion, the examiner failed to address the remand request regarding the specific dates from the Veteran’s service treatment records. The examiner went on to opine that the review of the medical records suggests the in service reported symptoms were due to IBS and not the ventral hernia. The Board finds that medical clarification in needed. The examiner did not address the specific records and did not provide a rationale as to why the in-service treatment records reflect IBS and not a ventral hernia and/or diastasis recti. As further medical clarification and a clearer rationale is needed, a remand for an addendum opinion is appropriate. See Bowling v. Principi, 15 Vet. App. 1, 12 (2001) (emphasizing the Board’s duty to return an inadequate examination report “if further evidence or clarification of the evidence... is essential for a proper appellate decision”). The matter is REMANDED for the following action: Forward the claims file to the September 2020 VA examiner, if possible, or to an appropriate examiner, for review and an addendum opinion considering the Veteran’s symptoms noted in his service treatment records, including specifically on January 20, 2000, July 10, 2001, and September 11, 2001, and addressing whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) any currently diagnosed abdominal disability is related to an in-service injury, event or disease, including said reported symptoms. Provide clarification as to whether the Veteran was diagnosed with a ventral hernia and/or diastasis recti in-service or after separation, and specifically when the diagnosis was made. If the examiner finds that there is an alternative in-service diagnosis, such as IBS, the examiner is to provide a rationale as to why the diagnosis is not ventral hernia and/or diastasis recti. The examiner is also requested to opine on the January 2020 VA examination where the Veteran reported that the condition began when lifting heavy weights in 2000. The examiner must provide a complete rationale for any opinion expressed, based on the examiner’s clinical and medical expertise; established medical principles; and references to the evidence of record, as appropriate A. C. MACKENZIE Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board D. Hetman The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.