A deviated nasal septum is a small rating with outsized importance. It is capped at 10 percent, but because it documents structural nasal obstruction, it frequently becomes the primary condition supporting a much larger secondary claim.
The criteria
Diagnostic Code 6502 provides a single 10 percent evaluation for a deviated nasal septum, traumatic only, with 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side.
There is no higher evaluation under this code. There is also no evaluation at all for a congenital deviation - the regulation limits the code to traumatic origin.
What 'traumatic only' means for the claim
The file must show an injury. Nasal fractures, facial trauma, training injuries, sports injuries during service, and motor vehicle accidents all qualify. A sick call entry, an emergency room note, a photograph, or a buddy statement can establish the event.
Where no in-service trauma is documented but obstruction is present, the more appropriate pathway may be chronic rhinitis under DC 6522 or a post-surgical residual. See rhinitis and sinusitis ratings explained.
The obstruction measurement
Like rhinitis, this code is anatomical. The examination must state the percentage of obstruction on each side. A report noting a deviation without quantifying obstruction supports a 0 percent evaluation even where the veteran cannot breathe through one nostril.
Where veterans start
Every case is different, and there is no obligation at any step. When veterans want to understand what their records actually support, these are the two most common starting points:
- Medical records review
A licensed physician reviews your records for a $250 flat fee and identifies which conditions the available evidence may support. The fee is refunded in full if nothing supportable is identified.
- Nexus letter
When the records support one, a licensed provider writes the medical opinion that addresses the link between your respiratory condition and your service or an already service-connected disability.
Septoplasty does not end the claim
Surgical correction improves airflow for many veterans, but residual obstruction is common and the evaluation is based on current findings. A post-surgical examination that still documents qualifying obstruction supports the 10 percent evaluation; one that does not supports 0 percent, with the service connection itself remaining intact.
Why a 10 percent condition matters
Structural nasal obstruction is a recognized contributor to obstructive sleep apnea. Once a deviated septum is service connected, it can serve as the primary disability in a secondary claim under 38 CFR 3.310 - a claim whose evaluation may be considerably higher than the septum rating itself.
The mechanism and the evidence are covered in rhinitis and sleep apnea secondary claims and across our sleep apnea series.
Where veterans start
Whether the record documents the trauma and the obstruction the code requires is something a physician can determine by reading the file. A paid medical records review does that before a nexus letter is ordered.