BVA9501364 
DOCKET NO.  93-10 112     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Sioux Falls,
South Dakota

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral
renal calculi and bilateral renal cysts.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

D. B. Weiss, Associate Counsel

REMAND

The veteran had active duty from June 1971 to June 1991.

To ensure full compliance with duty to assist and due process
requirements, the case is REMANDED to the regional office (RO)
for the following development:

1.  The RO should obtain the names and
addresses of all medical care providers who
treated the veteran for the disorder at
issue since the date of claim.  After
securing the necessary release, the RO
should attempt to obtain copies of these
records.

2.  The veteran should be afforded an
examination by a board-certified specialist
in renal disorders in order to determine
the severity of bilateral renal calculi and
bilateral renal cysts.  The claims folder
should be made available to the examiner
for review before the examination.  The
examiner should specify whether stone
formation is recurrent in nature; if it is
not possible to make that assessment, the
examiner should  state that conclusion for
the record.  All indicated diagnostic tests
should be performed, and a complete
treatment history should be elicited.

3.  The RO should consider whether separate
ratings may be assigned for bilateral renal
calculi and bilateral renal cysts.

4.  After the development requested above
has been completed to the extent possible,
the RO should again review the record.  The
RO should consider the claim under the new
diagnostic provisions pertinent to the
rating of genitourinary system
disabilities, which became effective
February 17, 1994.  If any benefit sought
on appeal, for which a notice of
disagreement has been filed, remains
denied, the appellant and representative
should be furnished a supplemental
statement of the case and given the
opportunity to respond thereto.

Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board of Veterans'
Appeals (Board), if in order.  The Board intimates no opinion as
to the ultimate outcome of this case.  The appellant need take no
action until otherwise notified.

          JOHN E. ORMOND
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be
assigned to an individual member of the Board for a
determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to an
individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This remand is in the nature of a
preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board
on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1993).