---
title: "DC 6019 - Ptosis, unilateral or bilateral:"
diagnostic_code: "6019"
body_system: "Organs of Special Sense (Eye)"
cfr_section: "§ 4.79"
canonical: "https://veteranai.co/va-rating-schedule/eye/6019-ptosis-unilateral-or-bilateral"
source: "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.79"
updated: "2026-07-21T03:11:48.577540Z"
---

# DC 6019 - Ptosis, unilateral or bilateral:

Rated under § 4.79. Body system: Organs of Special Sense (Eye).

Evaluate based on visual impairment or, in the absence of visual impairment, on disfigurement (diagnostic code 7800).

## Rating criteria

No itemised criteria have been extracted for this code. Use the official source.

# VA Disability Rating for Ptosis (Diagnostic Code 6019)

## Understanding Ptosis and How the VA Rates It

**Body System:** Organs of Special Sense (Eye)
**Diagnostic Code:** 6019
**Regulation:** 38 CFR § 4.79

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### What Is Ptosis?

Ptosis refers to drooping of the eyelid. It can affect one eye (unilateral) or both eyes (bilateral). Depending on how the condition presents, it may affect a person's vision, their appearance, or both.

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### How the VA Rates Ptosis

Unlike some conditions that use a fixed set of percentage levels, ptosis is evaluated based on the effect it has, using one of two approaches:

- **Based on visual impairment** — The VA first looks at whether the drooping eyelid causes an impairment to vision.
- **Based on disfigurement** — If there is no visual impairment, the condition is instead evaluated on disfigurement, using the criteria under diagnostic code 7800.

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### What the VA Looks For

When rating ptosis, the VA considers:

- **Visual impairment.** Whether and to what extent the eyelid drooping affects the eye's vision.
- **Disfigurement (when no visual impairment is present).** If the condition does not cause a visual impairment, it is evaluated on disfigurement under diagnostic code 7800.

Because ptosis is rated according to its effects rather than a preset ladder of percentages, the specific evaluation depends on how the condition presents in each individual case.

Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-4.79