Question:

I am an Agent Orange veteran (DMII) and now have CAD. However, my CAD has lead to 6 stents provided by VA in 3 years. The blockages were significant, 100, 99 60,50 and 30% My METs and ejection fractions are below the comp standard. Is there a chance of comp awarded?.

Jim's Reply:

Probably not. When VA decided to add Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) to the agent orange presumptive list they went about it in the oddest way possible. First up, nobody in health care calls it 'ischemic heart disease', it's usually referred to as coronary artery disease. The decision to base a rating on the function of the heart rather than the procedures you encounter was also odd. This discounts all the hospital time, wounds in your body from catheter insertions and even bypasses for heart surgery. If you have 3 heart surgeries in 3 years and subsequent wound infections and a helluva time after, if your ejection fraction is OK you'll get a 0% rating. If you have other clinical sequela (scars, etc.) from the procedures, you can claim that. Otherwise there isn't much to be done.