Question:
I just had a stent placement. Can I ask for an increase for cad?
Jim's Reply:
Service connection for presumptive ischemic heart disease is measured and rated more by the function of the heart's pump than by the number of stents or bypasses we've had. If your heart is pumping fairly well even after 2 open heart surgeries, the rating may be fairly low. If you've had heart attacks that damaged and scarred your heart, you may have congestive heart failure and thus a fairly high rating. You can seek an increase because of the stent but in theory, the stent makes the heart pump better so you could lose ground too.