VA Disability Rating for Residuals of Stomach Injury (DC 7310)

Diagnostic Code 7310 · 38 CFR §4.114

What Is It?

DC 7310 is “Stomach, injury of, residuals,” and its rating cell in 38 CFR 4.114 is empty. The entry has two branches and they turn on one fact — whether the stomach has been operated on. Pre-operative: rate as adhesions of peritoneum due to surgery, trauma, disease, or infection (DC 7301), and the entry adds a sentence that is easy to miss and worth a great deal to a veteran — “No adhesions are necessary when evaluating under DC 7301.” Post-operative: rate as chronic complications of upper gastrointestinal surgery (DC 7303). Stomach injuries in service come from penetrating wounds, blast and blunt abdominal trauma, and the emergency surgery that follows them. The residuals are chronic pain, food intolerance, obstruction from scarring, and impaired gastric function that can persist for decades. Which branch applies decides which ladder is used, and the two count different things: DC 7301 is written on obstruction, hospitalization and dietary modification, while DC 7303 is written on feeding support, daily vomiting and bowel-movement counts.

Rating Criteria

Rating	Criteria
See pathways	DC 7310 assigns no percentages of its own — its rating cell in 38 CFR 4.114 is empty. The entry directs two pathways. Pre-operative: rate as adhesions of peritoneum due to surgery, trauma, disease, or infection (DC 7301), and no adhesions are necessary when evaluating under DC 7301. Post-operative: rate as chronic complications of upper gastrointestinal surgery (DC 7303). 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 7303 runs 80, 50, 30, 10 and 0 percent. 80 percent requires continuous total parenteral nutrition or tube feeding for longer than 30 consecutive days in the last six months. 50 percent requires any one of daily vomiting despite oral dietary modification or medication; six or more watery bowel movements a day every day, or explosive movements that are difficult to predict or control; or post-prandial light-headedness with sweating together with medication prescribed specifically for a complication of upper gastrointestinal surgery such as dumping syndrome or delayed gastric emptying. 30 percent requires two or more of a shorter list, including vomiting two or more times a week or vomiting despite treatment, and discomfort or pain within an hour of eating requiring ongoing oral dietary modification. 10 percent is nausea or vomiting managed by ongoing medical treatment. 0 percent is post-operative status, asymptomatic.

Rating

Criteria

See pathways

DC 7310 assigns no percentages of its own — its rating cell in 38 CFR 4.114 is empty. The entry directs two pathways. Pre-operative: rate as adhesions of peritoneum due to surgery, trauma, disease, or infection (DC 7301), and no adhesions are necessary when evaluating under DC 7301. Post-operative: rate as chronic complications of upper gastrointestinal surgery (DC 7303). 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 7303 runs 80, 50, 30, 10 and 0 percent. 80 percent requires continuous total parenteral nutrition or tube feeding for longer than 30 consecutive days in the last six months. 50 percent requires any one of daily vomiting despite oral dietary modification or medication; six or more watery bowel movements a day every day, or explosive movements that are difficult to predict or control; or post-prandial light-headedness with sweating together with medication prescribed specifically for a complication of upper gastrointestinal surgery such as dumping syndrome or delayed gastric emptying. 30 percent requires two or more of a shorter list, including vomiting two or more times a week or vomiting despite treatment, and discomfort or pain within an hour of eating requiring ongoing oral dietary modification. 10 percent is nausea or vomiting managed by ongoing medical treatment. 0 percent is post-operative status, asymptomatic.

Evidence Needed

Service treatment records documenting the original injury and any emergency surgery performed for it
Every operative report since, because the presence or absence of surgery is what selects the pathway
Current imaging of the abdomen showing structural change, though the DC 7301 branch does not require a finding of adhesions
A record of any episode of partial or complete bowel obstruction, with hospitalization dates, which is what DC 7301's 50 percent row counts
Documentation of medically-directed dietary modification, an element of DC 7301's 50 and 30 percent rows
A daily count of vomiting and of watery bowel movements for the DC 7303 branch, and the dates of any tube feeding or parenteral nutrition
Buddy statements from those who witnessed the injury, where the service treatment records are incomplete

C&P Exam Tips

State clearly whether the stomach has been operated on, and when — that single fact selects which ladder is used
If you are on the pre-operative branch, say so and cite the entry's own sentence: no finding of adhesions is necessary to be evaluated under DC 7301
Describe obstruction episodes by date and say which required hospitalization, because that is a criterion rather than a description
Say what dietary modification a clinician has directed, and whether it goes beyond your own choices
On the post-operative branch, count daily vomiting and watery bowel movements rather than describing them
Explain how the injury connects to what you experience now, since the residuals are what is being rated rather than the wound itself

How to File

File VA Form 21-526EZ naming the residuals of the stomach injury; the rater applies DC 7310 and then takes the percentage from DC 7301 or DC 7303 according to whether the stomach has been operated on. Say which branch you are on in the claim itself. If you are pre-operative, quote the entry: no adhesions are necessary when evaluating under DC 7301 — a veteran with post-traumatic obstruction symptoms and no imaged adhesions still belongs on that ladder. Attach the service treatment records, every operative report, and the dated obstruction and hospitalization history. DC 7310, DC 7301 and DC 7303 all sit inside DC 7301 through 7329, so 38 CFR 4.114's opening paragraph bars combining them with each other.

Common Mistakes

Expecting a percentage from DC 7310 itself. Its rating cell is empty and the entry routes to DC 7301 or DC 7303. Accepting a denial on the pre-operative branch because imaging showed no adhesions — the entry says in terms that none are necessary. Not making clear whether the stomach was operated on, which is the fact that selects the ladder. Expecting the injury and its digestive complications to be paid as separate digestive ratings; codes inside DC 7301 through 7329 are not combined with each other. Complications outside the digestive schedule — nerve damage, a mental-health condition — are a different matter and are combined normally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no rating table under DC 7310?

Because the code assigns no percentages. Its rating cell in 38 CFR 4.114 is empty. The entry directs two pathways: pre-operative, rate as adhesions of peritoneum (DC 7301), with no adhesions necessary; post-operative, rate as chronic complications of upper gastrointestinal surgery (DC 7303). Both ladders run 80 / 50 / 30 / 10 / 0.

What counts as a stomach injury for VA purposes?

Any trauma to the stomach during service — gunshot and shrapnel wounds, blast and blunt force from vehicle accidents or falls, and complications of emergency abdominal surgery. What is rated is the residual effect that persists, not the wound itself.

Can I be rated for both the injury and its complications?

Inside the digestive schedule, no. DC 7310 and both of its destinations sit within DC 7301 through 7329, which 38 CFR 4.114's opening paragraph bars from being combined with each other; VA assigns one evaluation under the predominant code and elevates it a step where the overall severity warrants. Distinct conditions outside that range — nerve damage at the wound site, a mental-health condition, a scar — are rated under their own schedules and combined under 38 CFR 4.25.

My imaging shows no adhesions. Does the DC 7301 pathway still apply?

Yes, on the pre-operative branch. The DC 7310 entry states it directly: “No adhesions are necessary when evaluating under DC 7301.” The criteria are applied to your obstruction symptoms, hospitalizations and dietary modification as though adhesions were present.