VASRD 7301 · Digestive System
Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions) VA Disability Rating
Peritoneal adhesions are bands of scar tissue that form in the abdomen after surgery, trauma, disease, or infection. The schedule rates them on symptoms and treatment burden rather than on the adhesions themselves. The 10, 30, and 50 percent levels all begin from symptomatic adhesions with at least one of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, colic, constipation, or diarrhea, and step up by adding medically-directed dietary modification and then hospitalization for recurrent obstruction. The 80 percent level is written separately, around persistent partial bowel obstruction. A history of adhesions that is currently asymptomatic is rated 0 percent.
VA Rating Tiers
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 80% | Lasting partial bowel blockage surgery can't fix, or needing IV nutrition |
| 50% | Adhesions plus a hospital stay for blockage each year and a prescribed diet |
| 30% | Symptomatic adhesions needing a doctor-directed change in diet |
| 10% | Adhesions causing pain, nausea, vomiting, colic, constipation, or diarrhea |
| 0% | History of adhesions with no symptoms right now |
How the VA Evaluates Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions)
Every level from 10 through 50 percent starts from the same base: symptomatic adhesions that persist or recur after surgery, trauma, an inflammatory disease process such as chronic cholecystitis or Crohn's disease, or infection, as determined by a healthcare provider, together with at least one of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, colic, constipation, or diarrhea. That base alone is 10 percent. Adding medically-directed dietary modification other than total parenteral nutrition (TPN) reaches 30 percent, and adding clinical evidence of recurrent obstruction requiring hospitalization at least once a year reaches 50 percent. The 80 percent evaluation is written differently and does not build on that base: it requires persistent partial bowel obstruction that is either inoperable and refractory to treatment or requires TPN for obstructive symptoms. A history of adhesions that is currently asymptomatic is 0 percent.
Veterans service-connected
~50 veterans
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule — not official VA statistics.
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Best Evidence to Gather
- •Operative reports, or the trauma and infection records, for the event the adhesions followed, since the 10, 30, and 50 percent levels are all anchored to that origin.
- •Imaging or operative findings documenting obstruction, plus discharge summaries from any admission for it, because the 50 percent level counts hospitalization for recurrent obstruction at least once a year.
- •The written dietary order from the treating provider, and records of total parenteral nutrition if it has been used, since the criteria treat TPN and ordinary dietary modification differently.
Strategy Tips
- •Make sure the record names the origin the criteria require — surgery, trauma, an inflammatory disease process such as chronic cholecystitis or Crohn's disease, or infection — because the 10, 30, and 50 percent levels all begin with adhesions persisting or recurring after one of those.
- •Keep the dietary restriction in writing from the provider who ordered it, since medically-directed dietary modification other than TPN is what separates the 10 percent level from the 30 percent level.
- •Residuals of a stomach injury before surgery (DC 7310) are rated under this code, and gallbladder injury (DC 7317) is rated under this code or under DC 7314 or DC 7318 depending on the predominant disability; in both places the schedule states that a finding of adhesions is not necessary.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •Arriving with nothing in the file tying the adhesions to surgery, trauma, an inflammatory disease process, or infection, which is where the 10, 30, and 50 percent criteria each begin.
- •A record that documents abdominal symptoms but never shows a healthcare provider attributing them to peritoneal adhesions, which is the determination the criteria call for.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Filing on the presence of adhesions alone, when a documented history that is currently asymptomatic is expressly rated 0 percent.
- •Leaving out hospital records from non-VA facilities where an obstruction was treated, and dietary restrictions that were discussed but never written into the chart — both are elements the 30 and 50 percent criteria name.
Onset Patterns
- •The criteria are written around adhesions that persist or recur after the original surgery, trauma, disease, or infection, so the history that matters is the course following that event rather than the event alone.
Secondary Conditions
Conditions commonly linked to Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions). Service-connecting a secondary condition can increase your combined rating.
Common questions about Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions)
- Is Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions) a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions) under VASRD diagnostic code 7301 (Digestive System). Peritoneal adhesions are bands of scar tissue that form in the abdomen after surgery, trauma, disease, or infection. The schedule rates them on symptoms and treatment burden rather than on the adhesions th…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions)?
- Possible VA ratings for Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions) are 80%, 50%, 30%, 10%, 0%. Examples: 80%: Lasting partial bowel blockage surgery can't fix, or needing IV nutrition; 50%: Adhesions plus a hospital stay for blockage each year and a prescribed diet; 30%: Symptomatic adhesions needing a doctor-directed…
- What evidence helps prove Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions) for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions) claim includes: Operative reports, or the trauma and infection records, for the event the adhesions followed, since the 10, 30, and 50 percent levels are all anchored to that origin.; Imaging or operative findings documenting obstruction, plus discharge…
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions)?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions): Filing on the presence of adhesions alone, when a documented history that is currently asymptomatic is expressly rated 0 percent.; Leaving out hospital records from non-VA facilities where an obstruction was treated, and dietary restrictions t…
- What conditions are commonly secondary to Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions)?
- Conditions often service-connected as secondary to Peritoneal Adhesions (Abdominal Adhesions) include: Weight loss. Filing for secondary conditions can increase a veteran's combined VA rating.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.114 — Schedule of ratings — digestive system (Diagnostic Code 7301)
Rating criteria on this page are an educational summary of the cited regulation — the eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
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