BVA decisions by condition
Hernia ventral postoperative: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a hernia ventral postoperative issue in 725 decisions. It granted the hernia ventral postoperative issue in 15.3% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 40.1%, and remanded it in 42.8%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 27.6% were granted.
Decisions
725
2017–2026
Granted
15.3%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
27.6%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
42.8%
Denied: 40.1%
Hernia ventral postoperative outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 50 | 12.0% | 38.0% | 48.0% | 2.0% |
| 2018 | 106 | 11.3% | 39.6% | 38.7% | 10.4% |
| 2019 | 87 | 9.2% | 40.2% | 49.4% | 1.1% |
| 2020 | 87 | 17.2% | 41.4% | 40.2% | 1.1% |
| 2021 | 73 | 17.8% | 37.0% | 42.5% | 2.7% |
| 2022 | 78 | 20.5% | 33.3% | 46.2% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 83 | 12.0% | 36.1% | 49.4% | 2.4% |
| 2024 | 80 | 17.5% | 42.5% | 38.8% | 1.3% |
| 2025 | 73 | 19.2% | 42.5% | 38.4% | 0.0% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied hernia ventral postoperative decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the hernia ventral postoperative issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claimed as secondary | 105 | 57.4% | 23.0% | +34.4 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 90 | 48.4% | 23.8% | +24.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 190 | 40.2% | 22.8% | +17.4 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 89 | 40.3% | 24.8% | +15.4 pts |
| Lay statement | 596 | 27.0% | 32.0% | −5.0 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 64.9% of the decisions that granted hernia ventral postoperative.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 38.7% of grants and 14.1% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often hernia ventral postoperative was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 317 | 28.4% | 26.8% | +1.7 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 523 | 25.7% | 38.1% | −12.4 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied hernia ventral postoperative
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established12
- Caused by the service-connected disability8
- Criteria for service connection met3
- Service connection established2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim31
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service22
- Service records negative or silent16
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis16
- No current diagnosis13
- No indication for supporting belt13
- Current diagnosis established8
- Criteria for compensable rating not met6
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent hernia ventral postoperative decisions
Granted
Grant of service connection based on benefit of the doubt; Related to service; Supported by medical literature on weightlifting and hernia development
Grant based on presumption of aggravation; Benefit of the doubt resolved in veteran's favor; Incomplete service treatment records heightened Board's obligation
Hernia rated under DC 7339; Prior criteria more favorable as hernia was large but not massive; 40 percent rating warranted for large hernia not well supported by belt
Denied
No hernia noted on enlistment examination; Lay reporting of childhood hernia insufficient to overcome presumption of soundness; VA treatment records show hernia diagnosed over four years after service; VA examiner opined hernia not service-related, due to increased intra-abdominal pressure
No evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation; Service treatment records silent regarding hernia; Separation examination normal; No competent medical opinion linking hernia to service
Healed hernia repair; No recurrence or muscle weakening; No indication for supporting belt
Rules that apply to hernia ventral postoperative claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your hernia ventral postoperative case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a hernia ventral postoperative issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.