Long-term inflammation of the pancreas causing ongoing digestive problems and abdominal pain.
Medical records that confirm abdominal or mid-back pain results specifically from pancreatitis are required — appropriate diagnostic studies must establish this connection. Without that confirmation, the rating criteria cannot be applied.
For a 30% rating, records showing at least one episode per year with documented outpatient visits for pain, digestive problems, or treatment of a related complication would be relevant. For a 60% rating, records showing three or more pain episodes per year and at least one hospitalization per year for pain complications or tube feeding complications would support that level. For a 100% rating, records showing daily pain episodes, three or more hospitalizations per year, a physician's documented pain management plan, and records of a diagnosis of maldigestion and malabsorption with prescribed dietary restrictions and pancreatic enzyme supplementation would be relevant.
Your own statements, and statements from people who know you, describing how often pain episodes occur, how long they last, and how they affect your ability to work and manage daily activities can also help show the frequency and severity of your condition.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
