Digestive System§ 4.114Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 7329Intestine, large, resection of

Rated from 10% to 100% under § 4.114. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

View official source

Not the right code?

The ladder

What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 100%

    Total colectomy with formation of ileostomy, high-output syndrome, and more than two episodes of dehydration requiring intravenous hydration in the past 12 months

  2. 60%

    Total colectomy with or without permanent colostomy or ileostomy without high-output syndrome

  3. 40%

    Partial colectomy with permanent colostomy or ileostomy without high-output syndrome

  4. 20%

    Partial colectomy with reanastomosis (reconnection of the intestinal tube) with loss of ileocecal valve and recurrent episodes of diarrhea more than 3 times per day

  5. 10%

    Partial colectomy with reanastomosis (reconnection of the intestinal tube)

Large Intestine Resection (Diagnostic Code 7329)

Digestive System · 38 CFR § 4.114

Understanding This Condition

A resection of the large intestine (colon) is a surgical procedure that removes part or all of the colon. Depending on how much of the intestine is removed and how it's reconnected or diverted, the effects on digestion and daily life can vary significantly.

Some procedures reconnect the remaining intestine (called a reanastomosis), while others require a permanent colostomy or ileostomy — an opening created to redirect waste. In more severe cases, the entire colon is removed (total colectomy), which can lead to complications such as high-output syndrome and repeated dehydration.

The VA rates this condition under Diagnostic Code 7329, using five levels that reflect the extent of the surgery and its ongoing effects.

Rating Levels

The VA assigns one of the following ratings based on the surgery performed and any related complications:

  • 100% — Total colectomy with formation of an ileostomy, high-output syndrome, and more than two episodes of dehydration requiring intravenous hydration in the past 12 months.
  • 60% — Total colectomy, with or without a permanent colostomy or ileostomy, without high-output syndrome.
  • 40% — Partial colectomy with a permanent colostomy or ileostomy, without high-output syndrome.
  • 20% — Partial colectomy with reanastomosis (reconnection of the intestinal tube) with loss of the ileocecal valve and recurrent episodes of diarrhea more than 3 times per day.
  • 10% — Partial colectomy with reanastomosis (reconnection of the intestinal tube).

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating a large intestine resection, the VA considers several key factors that distinguish the rating levels:

  • Extent of the resection — Whether the surgery was a partial colectomy (removing part of the colon) or a total colectomy (removing the entire colon).
  • Type of reconnection or diversion — Whether the intestine was reconnected through reanastomosis, or whether a permanent colostomy or ileostomy was needed.
  • Loss of the ileocecal valve — A factor at the 20% level, combined with recurrent diarrhea.
  • Frequency of diarrhea — Recurrent episodes more than 3 times per day are relevant at the 20% level.
  • High-output syndrome — Its presence or absence helps separate the 60% and 100% levels.
  • Dehydration requiring IV hydration — More than two episodes in the past 12 months is part of the criteria for the highest (100%) rating.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.114, diagnostic code 7329. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

View official source
What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 7329 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Digestive System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

Six reads your records against these exact criteria and tells you what the VA is still missing.

Start for freeAll 51 Digestive System codes →