Lung surgery residuals (lobectomy, pneumonectomy)

Because the rating thresholds are tied directly to lung function measurements, pulmonary function test results are the most important records for this condition. Reports showing your FEV-1 value and its percentage of the predicted normal, the FEV-1/FVC ratio, and DLCO by the single-breath method each map directly to a specific rating level. The more recent and complete those test results are, the more clearly they reflect your current level of function.

For a 100% rating, records confirming cor pulmonale, right ventricular hypertrophy, or pulmonary hypertension — such as an echocardiogram report or cardiac catheterization findings — would support that level. Hospital records documenting an episode of acute respiratory failure, or a prescription and treatment records showing outpatient oxygen therapy, also speak to the 100% criteria. Cardiopulmonary exercise test results showing maximum oxygen consumption below 15 ml/kg/min with a cardiac or respiratory limitation are likewise relevant.

Statements from you or people who know you — describing how shortness of breath, reduced stamina, or other respiratory symptoms affect your ability to work, perform physical tasks, or carry out daily activities — can help VA understand how the measured impairment affects your life.