The use of medicinal leeches in the salvage of flaps with venous congestion
Case series published in Annals of Plastic Surgery (1992)
Abstract
The use of medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) for the salvage of tissues with venous congestion has been intermittent over the last two centuries. During the last decade, interest in leech therapy has undergone a resurgence. Hirudo's tricuspid bite injects a highly potent anticoagulant. The site usually bleeds for 1 to 2 hours and under special circumstances may bleed for up to 24 hours. This collective series presents four patients in whom immediate postoperative venous congestion threatened the survival of three tissue replants and one latissimus dorsi flap. Two of the replants were completely salvaged; the other two failed due to infection. Hirudo medicinalis is an important adjunct in preventing flap or replant failure secondary to venous congestion, but its use is associated with significant risks.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Zusammenfassung
Four-patient series during the 1980s–90s leech-therapy resurgence: 2 of 4 replants/flaps fully salvaged, 2 failed due to infection. Documents early Aeromonas infection risk and the foundational role of medicinal leeches as flap-salvage adjunct.
Warum dies für die Hirudotherapie relevant ist
This collective series reports four patients in whom postoperative venous congestion threatened three tissue replants and one latissimus dorsi flap, treated with medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis). Two replants were completely salvaged, while the other two cases failed due to infection. The abstract states that Hirudo medicinalis is an important adjunct in preventing flap or replant failure secondary to venous congestion, but that its use is associated with significant risks. For ASH's domain, this series directly documents the use of leech therapy for venous congestion in flap and replant salvage. The honest caveat is that this is a small collective series with a 50% failure rate, and the abstract does not provide sufficient detail to determine whether infections were leech-attributable. No information on leech therapy protocol, duration, or antibiotic prophylaxis is provided.
Zitation
The use of medicinal leeches in the salvage of flaps with venous congestion.
Dabb RW, Malone JM, Leverett LC · Annals of plastic surgery, 1992
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