Question:

I have a rating of 50% for my back. If the VA performs surgery to correct the problem, do I lose my rating?

Jim's Reply:

Will you lose a disability rating after corrective surgery? Not necessarily.
 

Here's how it works. You're rated on certain objective criteria like flexion...how far you can bend in various directions and probably a component of pain is mixed in too.
 

You're going to have corrective surgery and you hope it will improve your abilities to flex and bend without pain. Once you complete the surgery you'll be rated at 100% for a period of time and you'll be examined again...a 'future exam' to determine how well your surgery worked for you.
 

If you're a lot better, you'd expect to have a lower rating. If you aren't better, your rating may stay exactly the same. If you have issues and the surgery doesn't help, your rating may go higher. This is true no matter who performs the surgery, whether at VA or at a civilian provider.
 

Often enough a rating won't change because the underlying reasons for the rating may change but the final % doesn't. For example, you may lose 10% on the functional side if your condition has improved and you could gain 10% for the scar you have after surgery...no net gain or loss.
 

In a nutshell, you won't automatically lose the rating but it could fluctuate up or down. Good luck sir.