VA Diagnostic Code 7351Liver transplant
Rated from 30% to 100% under § 4.114. Here is what the VA requires at each level.
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What each rating requires
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- 100%
For an indefinite period from the date of hospital admission for transplant surgery
- 60%
Eligible and awaiting transplant surgery, minimum rating
- 30%
Following transplant surgery, minimum rating
Notes on this code
These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.
- Note: Assign a rating of 100% as of the date of hospital admission for transplant surgery. One year following discharge, determine the appropriate disability rating by mandatory VA examination. Apply the provisions of § 3.105(e) of this chapter to any change in evaluation based upon that or any subsequent examination. Rate residuals of any recurrent underlying liver disease under the appropriate diagnostic code and, when appropriate, combine with other post-transplant residuals under the appropriate body system(s), subject to the provisions of § 4.14 and this section.
Liver Transplant — VA Disability Rating (Diagnostic Code 7351)
Digestive System · 38 CFR § 4.114
Understanding This Condition
A liver transplant is a major surgical procedure to replace a diseased liver. Because of the significant nature of this surgery and the recovery and monitoring it requires, the VA rates it under Diagnostic Code 7351 within the Digestive System schedule.
The VA recognizes the different stages associated with a liver transplant — from the period when someone is eligible and awaiting surgery, through the surgery itself and the recovery period afterward.
Available Rating Levels
| Rating | What It Reflects |
|---|---|
| 100% | For an indefinite period from the date of hospital admission for transplant surgery |
| 60% | Eligible and awaiting transplant surgery — this is a minimum rating |
| 30% | Following transplant surgery — this is a minimum rating |
What the VA Looks For
When rating a liver transplant, the VA follows a specific process:
- A 100% rating is assigned as of the date of hospital admission for transplant surgery.
- One year following discharge, the VA determines the appropriate disability rating through a mandatory VA examination.
- Any change in evaluation based on that examination — or any subsequent examination — is handled under the provisions of § 3.105(e).
- Residuals of any recurrent underlying liver disease are rated under the appropriate diagnostic code and, when appropriate, combined with other post-transplant residuals under the appropriate body system(s), subject to the provisions of § 4.14 and this section.
The rating levels above include established minimum ratings: a minimum of 60% for those eligible and awaiting transplant surgery, and a minimum of 30% following transplant surgery.
This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.114, Diagnostic Code 7351. Individual evaluations depend on the specifics of your case and the required VA examination.
These criteria are a rendering of § 4.114, diagnostic code 7351. The official version is the one that governs your rating.
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