The Social Security Administration provides for an award of Social Security disability benefits for a cardiac transplant under Listing 4.09.

Click here for Listing 4.09

http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/4.00-Cardiovascular-Adult.htm#4.09%20Cardiac%20transplantation

Heart transplants are one of the most common operations performed in the United States as a result of heart failure caused by coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease with congestive heart failure, severe heart disease, or life threatening abnormal heartbeats.

Heart transplants do carry major risks, including the risk of infection and the development of deep vein thrombosis. The recovery period after surgery is about six weeks.

Drugs that prevent transplant rejection have to be taken because fighting rejection is an ongoing life long process. Your body’s immune system considers a transplanted organ to be like an infection. Drugs such as cyclosporine and corticosteriods have significant side effects that reduce your body’s immune responses.

You may be entitled to Social Security disability benefits while awaiting the transplant. The Social Security Administration will consider heart transplants to be disabling for a one-year following surgery. However, they will then re-evaluate you for residual problems including exertional and non exertional impairments. I think it’s helpful to keep a log of the problems that you have with your activity level and side effects of medication to develop your impairments.

If you are going to have a heart transplant, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits. Contact Tampa based attorneys Cavey & Barrett for more information regarding this serious, life-altering matter.

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One of my favorite medical sites is the Merck manual. The Merck manual describes aneurysms as “abnormal dilation of arteries caused by weakening of the arterial wall.”

An aneurysm can occur and any artery including abdominal aortic aneurysms, aortic branch aneurysms, and thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Common causes include “hypertension, atherosclerosis, infection, trauma or acquired connective tissue diseases.” They are diagnosed by “ultrasonography, C. T. angiography, and magnetic resonance angiography.” www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/cho79/ch079b.html

Treatment depends on the type of aneurysm but generally requires some form of stint grafting.

The Social Security Disability administration evaluates aneurysms of aorta or major branches, due to any cause, under listing 4.10. To meet a listing you must show acute or chronic dissection not controlled by medical or surgical treatment; or chronic heart failure; or renal failure; or neurological complications as required by other applicable listings.

Click here to view the listing:

http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/4.00-Cardiovascular-Adult.htm#4.10%20Aneurysm%20of%20aorta%20or%20major%20branches

Once again, there is a residual functional capacity form it should be provided to your physician for their completion. An experienced Social Security disability Attorney, such as St. Petersburg, Florida-based Nancy Cavey, can assist in making sure that your physician guess the correct form and it is filled out properly.

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Can you file a claim for Social Security benefits as a result of chronic venous insufficiency? Do you have DVT or phlebitis?

You may be able to file a claim for Social Security benefits.

Vascular Web explains that chronic venous insufficiency happens when your leg veins can’t pump enough blood back to your heart. When you’re in an upright position, the blood in your leg veins goes against gravity to return your heart. Your leg muscles squeeze the deep veins of your legs and feet and move the blood back to your heart. There are one-way flaps, called valves, to keep the blood flowing in the right direction and, when your leg muscles relax, the valves inside your veins close preventing the blood from going backwards into your legs.

When you sit or stand for a long period of time the blood in your leg veins can pool and increase the pressure. Sitting or standing for a long time can stretch the vein walls so that they become flexible and over time weakened the walls of the veins.

Chronic venous insufficiency can be caused when blood pressure is higher than normal inside your legs. Other causes include deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and phlebitis which cause elevated pressure in your veins which overloads your valves.

There is a great article about chronic venous insufficiency with a neat diagram at Vascular Web

The Social Security Administration will look at Listing 4.11 to evaluate chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremity as a basis for Social Security disability claim. Click here.

Make sure your physician completes the appropriate residual functional capacity form to help you establish your entitlement to Social Security benefits. You can contact Social Security disability Attorney Nancy Cavey for the appropriate form.

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You can get Social Security benefits for peripheral arterial disease under Listing 4.12.

As the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute explains, peripheral arterial disease or PAD occurs “when fatty material called plaque builds up on the inside walls of the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the head, internal organs and limbs.”

The buildup of “plaque on the artery walls is called an atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.” PAD “most commonly affects blood flow to the legs.” Blocked blood flow can cause “pain and numbness” and, if is severe enough, the blocked blood flow can cause tissue death which can require leg amputation.

A person with “PAD has a 6-7 times greater risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke or mini strokes.” If a person has heart disease, you “have a one in three chance of having a blocked artery in your leg”. Early diagnosis and treatment are important as the buildup of plaque in your arteries can often be stopped or slowed down with dietary change, exercises and medication.

Make sure your physician completes the right residual functional capacity form for your peripheral arterial disease in support of your Social Security disability claim. If you need help with your case, contact Nancy Cavey a St. Petersburg Florida social security lawyer here or at 727.894.3188.

Listing 4.12 can be viewed here.

For National Institute of Health information about PAD click here

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There is no specific listing for Social Security benefits for endocarditis as it is evaluated under Listing 4.07 Valvular Heart disease.

Endocarditis is an infection of your heart’s lining or heart valves. It can damage and destroy your heart valves.

It occurs when bacteria in your bloodstream lodge on abnormal heart valves or other damaged heart tissue. If you had a pre-existing heart condition such as a congenital heart defect, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, rheumatic fever that’s caused heart valve damage, or an artificial heart valve, you’re at increased risk for developing endocarditis.

The American Heart Association suggests that patients at increased risk for endocarditis take antibiotics before certain dental, G.I. or genitourinary tract procedures. About 29,000 cases of endocarditis are diagnosed a year.

Your eligibility for Social Security disability benefits for endocarditis will require you to meet the listing requirements of 4.07 or the medical/vocational requirements.

For assistance with your claim, contact Nancy Cavey a St. Petersburg based Social Security benefits claim attorney by clicking here or at 727.894.3188.

You can look at Cardiac Listings by clicking here.

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