Petey,
Check the VASRD for both respiratory and cardiac conditions for your guidance. After digging through the board here and poking around over the past year I have found that DVT's by themselves are rated on the effect that they have on the extremity they impact. They look for swelling, tenderness, pain in the leg that it originated in for example. Barring that, people being chaptered for DVT and life-long Coumadin use have been getting separation pay instead of retirement.
Under the Cardiac section of the VASRD:
7121 Post-phlebitic syndrome of any etiology:
With the following findings attributed to venous disease:
Massive board-like edema with constant pain at rest....................................... 100
Persistent edema or subcutaneous induration, stasis pigmentation or
eczema, and persistent ulceration................................................................. 60
Persistent edema and stasis pigmentation or eczema, with or without
intermittent ulceration................................................................................... 40
Persistent edema, incompletely relieved by elevation of extremity,
with or without beginning stasis pigmentation or eczema............................ 20
Intermittent edema of extremity or aching and fatigue in leg after prolonged standing or walking, with symptoms relieved by
elevation of extremity or compression hosiery............................................. 10
Asymptomatic palpable or visible varicose veins.................................................. 0
Note: These evaluations are for involvement of a single extremity. If more than one extremity is involved, evaluate each extremity separately and combine (under §4.25), using the bilateral factor (§4.26), if applicable.
Now if the DVT includes a Pulmonary Embolism or the pulmonary system, then we have a new rating under the Respiratory Section:
6817 Pulmonary Vascular Disease:
Primary pulmonary hypertension, or; chronic pulmonary thrombo-
embolism with evidence of pulmonary hypertension, right
ventricular hypertrophy, or cor pulmonale, or; pulmonary
hypertension secondary to other obstructive disease of pulmonary
arteries or veins with evidence of right ventricular hypertrophy or
cor pulmonale.................................................................................................... 100
Chronic pulmonary thromboembolism requiring anticoagulant therapy,
or; following inferior vena cava surgery without evidence of
pulmonary hypertension or right ventricular dysfunction................................... 60
Symptomatic, following resolution of acute pulmonary embolism.......................... 30
Asymptomatic, following resolution of pulmonary thromboembolism...................... 0
Note: Evaluate other residuals following pulmonary embolism under the most appropriate diagnostic code, such as chronic bronchitis (DC 6600) or chronic pleural effusion or fibrosis (DC 6844), but do not combine that evaluation with any of the above evaluations.
Now with your surgery (although unsuccessful) to install a filter, and the use of hosiery to alleviate the DVT symptoms I see elements of both ratings in your case. In my best guess, the MEB will likely forward your case to the PEB to judge the status of your case. The ratings that you'd be looking for are really anyone's guess though at this time, as the symptoms that you have presented don't necessarily fall neatly into any single category or rating. The guidance is to find the rating that best approximates your condition, but that enters a fair amount of subjectivity into the equation, along with any mitigating factors that the MEB/PEB/VA may need to look at that are possibly not included in your post. I would prepare to be found unfit if you are on life-long coumadin, and make sure to go over your paperwork (NARSUM,MEB,ETC) thoroughly to make sure all of the information is present before allowing your packet to go forth for consideration.