Question:
I am currently getting 30% for ischemic heart disease. I had a heart cath at a VA clinic 3 weeks ago. They said I had two blocks at 100% and one at 80%. They are not prepared to do anything else. Going to a cardiac surgeon today to get scheduled for triple bypass surgery. What can I expect from the VA?
Jim's Reply:
Once you have your coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs) done your rating will increase to a temporary 100% for a few months as you recuperate. You'll soon be scheduled for a C & P exam and at that time the examiner will review your records to determine your functional status...how well your heart is working after the surgery.
VA doesn't rate us by the number of caths, stents, procedures or bypass grafts, we're rated by how well our heart is functioning at the time of our C & P exam.
VA generally uses cardiac METS or metabolic equivalents as the way of determining how well your heart is functioning. If after all the caths and surgery your heart is functioning much like it is today, your permanent rating may not change.
Good luck sir.