VA Disability Rating for Gallbladder Injury (DC 7317)

Diagnostic Code 7317 · 38 CFR §4.114

What Is It?

DC 7317 is “Gallbladder, injury of,” and its rating cell in 38 CFR 4.114 is empty. The entry names three destinations, not one: rate as adhesions of the peritoneum due to surgery, trauma, disease, or infection (DC 7301); or chronic gallbladder and biliary tract disease (DC 7314); or cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), complications of, such as strictures and biliary leaks (DC 7318) — depending on the predominant disability. Its Note repeats for the gallbladder the same allowance DC 7310 makes for the stomach: when rating gallbladder injuries analogous to DC 7301, a finding of adhesions is not necessary. Gallbladder injuries in service come from penetrating wounds, blunt abdominal trauma and the surgery that follows. What remains afterwards decides the destination — scarring and obstruction symptoms point at DC 7301, recurrent biliary attacks or duct strictures point at DC 7314, and the specific complications that follow removal of the gallbladder point at DC 7318.

Rating Criteria

Rating	Criteria
See pathways	DC 7317 assigns no percentages of its own — its rating cell in 38 CFR 4.114 is empty. The entry directs: rate as adhesions of the peritoneum (DC 7301), or chronic gallbladder and biliary tract disease (DC 7314), or complications of cholecystectomy (DC 7318), depending on the predominant disability, and its Note adds that a finding of adhesions is not necessary when rating analogous to DC 7301. DC 7301 runs 80, 50, 30, 10 and 0 percent. 80 percent is persistent partial bowel obstruction that is either inoperable and refractory to treatment or requires total parenteral nutrition. 50 percent requires symptomatic adhesions with clinical evidence of recurrent obstruction requiring hospitalization at least once a year, medically-directed dietary modification other than parenteral nutrition, and at least one of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, colic, constipation or diarrhoea. 30 percent is the same picture with medically-directed dietary modification but without the hospitalization. 10 percent is symptomatic adhesions with at least one of those six findings. 0 percent is a history of adhesions, currently asymptomatic. DC 7314 runs 30, 10 and 0 percent, counted over the past 12 months: 30 percent for three or more clinically documented attacks of right upper quadrant pain with nausea and vomiting, or for dilatation of biliary tract strictures at least once; 10 percent for one or two such attacks; 0 percent for none. DC 7318 runs 30, 10 and 0 percent: 30 percent for recurrent abdominal pain, post-prandial or nocturnal, together with chronic diarrhoea of three or more watery bowel movements a day; 10 percent for intermittent abdominal pain with one to two watery movements a day; 0 percent asymptomatic.

Rating

Criteria

See pathways

DC 7317 assigns no percentages of its own — its rating cell in 38 CFR 4.114 is empty. The entry directs: rate as adhesions of the peritoneum (DC 7301), or chronic gallbladder and biliary tract disease (DC 7314), or complications of cholecystectomy (DC 7318), depending on the predominant disability, and its Note adds that a finding of adhesions is not necessary when rating analogous to DC 7301. DC 7301 runs 80, 50, 30, 10 and 0 percent. 80 percent is persistent partial bowel obstruction that is either inoperable and refractory to treatment or requires total parenteral nutrition. 50 percent requires symptomatic adhesions with clinical evidence of recurrent obstruction requiring hospitalization at least once a year, medically-directed dietary modification other than parenteral nutrition, and at least one of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, colic, constipation or diarrhoea. 30 percent is the same picture with medically-directed dietary modification but without the hospitalization. 10 percent is symptomatic adhesions with at least one of those six findings. 0 percent is a history of adhesions, currently asymptomatic. DC 7314 runs 30, 10 and 0 percent, counted over the past 12 months: 30 percent for three or more clinically documented attacks of right upper quadrant pain with nausea and vomiting, or for dilatation of biliary tract strictures at least once; 10 percent for one or two such attacks; 0 percent for none. DC 7318 runs 30, 10 and 0 percent: 30 percent for recurrent abdominal pain, post-prandial or nocturnal, together with chronic diarrhoea of three or more watery bowel movements a day; 10 percent for intermittent abdominal pain with one to two watery movements a day; 0 percent asymptomatic.

Evidence Needed

Service treatment records documenting the original injury and the circumstances of it
Every operative report, including any cholecystectomy — whether the gallbladder was removed selects DC 7318 as a candidate destination
Imaging of the biliary tree — ultrasound, MRCP or ERCP — documenting strictures, leaks or duct injury
A dated record of each attack of right upper quadrant pain with nausea and vomiting, which is what DC 7314 counts over 12 months
A record of any dilatation of a biliary stricture, which reaches DC 7314's 30 percent row on its own
A daily count of watery bowel movements, and whether abdominal pain is post-prandial or nocturnal, which is what DC 7318's rows are written on
Obstruction episodes, hospitalizations and medically-directed dietary modification for the DC 7301 pathway

C&P Exam Tips

Say whether the gallbladder is still in place — that determines whether DC 7318 is even available
Describe attacks by date and count them over the past 12 months; DC 7314's rows are three or more, one or two, or none
Name any ERCP, stent or balloon dilatation performed on a biliary stricture, with dates — one dilatation in 12 months reaches 30 percent under DC 7314
If bowel symptoms dominate after removal, count watery movements per day and say whether pain comes after meals or at night
On the DC 7301 pathway, say that the entry's Note makes a finding of adhesions unnecessary, and describe obstruction symptoms and any hospitalization
Ask that all three destinations be considered and that the predominant disability picture be identified explicitly

How to File

File VA Form 21-526EZ naming the gallbladder injury and its residuals; the rater applies DC 7317 and takes the percentage from DC 7301, DC 7314 or DC 7318. Name in the claim which picture predominates, because the ceilings differ sharply — DC 7301 reaches 80 percent while DC 7314 and DC 7318 both stop at 30. Attach the service treatment records, every operative report, biliary imaging, and a dated attack log. If combat records are the only evidence of the event, say so; they can establish the injury where the medical record from the day is incomplete. All four codes — 7317, 7301, 7314 and 7318 — are inside DC 7301 through 7329, which 38 CFR 4.114's opening paragraph bars from being combined with each other.

Common Mistakes

Expecting a percentage from DC 7317 itself. Its rating cell is empty and the entry routes to three other codes. Letting only one destination be considered when the entry names three with very different ceilings. Accepting a denial on the DC 7301 pathway because no adhesions were found — the entry's Note says a finding of adhesions is not necessary. Describing attacks without dating them, when DC 7314 is decided by how many are clinically documented in the past 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no rating table under DC 7317?

Because the code assigns no percentages. Its rating cell in 38 CFR 4.114 is empty and the entry directs rating as adhesions of the peritoneum (DC 7301), chronic gallbladder and biliary tract disease (DC 7314), or complications of cholecystectomy (DC 7318), depending on the predominant disability.

What if my gallbladder was removed because of the injury?

Then DC 7318 becomes one of the available destinations — it is “Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), complications of (such as strictures and biliary leaks),” and it runs 30 / 10 / 0 on post-prandial or nocturnal abdominal pain together with watery bowel movements per day. Service connection still rests on the original injury; the removal was its consequence.

Can a gallbladder injury from a vehicle accident in service be rated?

Yes. Any injury sustained on active duty qualifies, in combat or not — vehicle accidents, training injuries and falls included — provided the event can be documented and residual problems persist.

My imaging shows no adhesions. Is the DC 7301 pathway closed?

No. The Note to DC 7317 states that when rating gallbladder injuries analogous to DC 7301, a finding of adhesions is not necessary. The DC 7301 criteria are applied to your obstruction symptoms, hospitalizations and dietary modification as though adhesions were present.