Post-surgical residual (lobectomy, pneumonectomy, etc.) DC 6844
VA rates it under diagnostic code 6844 in 38 CFR 4.97. Body system: Breathing & sleep.
How VA rates it
The schedule allows 4 rating levels for this code: 10%, 30%, 60%, and 100%. VA picks the level whose criteria best match your symptoms and records.
Rated under the general rating formula for restrictive lung disease (§ 4.97).
Source: 38 CFR 4.97 on eCFR. Read the full criteria there before you file.
Rating levels and criteria
This code is rated under the General Rating Formula for Restrictive Lung Disease (38 CFR 4.97).
| Rating | What the schedule says |
|---|---|
| 100% | FEV-1 less than 40 percent of predicted value, or; the ratio of Forced Expiratory Volume in one second to Forced Vital Capacity (FEV-1/FVC) less than 40 percent, or; Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) less than 40-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption (with cardiac or respiratory limitation), or; cor pulmonale (right heart failure), or; right ventricular hypertrophy, or; pulmonary hypertension (shown by Echo or cardiac catheterization), or; episode(s) of acute respiratory failure, or; requires outpatient oxygen therapy |
| 60% | FEV-1 of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent, or; DLCO (SB) of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; maximum oxygen consumption of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min (with cardiorespiratory limit) |
| 30% | FEV-1 of 56- to 70-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent, or; DLCO (SB) 56- to 65-percent predicted |
| 10% | FEV-1 of 71- to 80-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, or; DLCO (SB) 66- to 80-percent predicted |
| 100% | Note (1): A 100-percent rating shall be assigned for pleurisy with empyema, with or without pleurocutaneous fistula, until resolved.true |
| 100% | Note (2): Following episodes of total spontaneous pneumothorax, a rating of 100 percent shall be assigned as of the date of hospital admission and shall continue for three months from the first day of the month after hospital discharge.true |
Criteria text from 38 CFR 4.97, eCFR as of November 10, 2026. The eCFR is the official source if anything here differs.
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Rating schedule data as of November 10, 2026. Secondary and presumptive links checked November 13, 2026.
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