The Use of Medicinal Leeching in Breast Surgery: A Systematic Review
Systematic review published in J Clin Med (2024)
Abstract
Background: The medicinal leech has been used in plastic surgery to resolve venous congestion that can threaten the viability of tissue transfer. Within the context of breast surgery, venous congestion is a pertinent consideration for reconstructive and non-reconstructive breast surgery such as mammoplasty and mastopexy. However, leeching is closely associated with complications such as infection, pain, and anaemia. This is the first systematic review that examines the methodology, efficacy, and post therapeutic outcome data across all existing studies on medicinal leeching in breast surgery. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed and Embase databases from their inception to November 2023 was conducted. Inclusion criteria included studies reporting on the use of leeches to resolve venous congestion in any breast surgery. The JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Series tool was used for bias analysis. Descriptive statistics were undertaken in Microsoft Excel. Results: A total of 18 studies with a combined sample size of 28 were examined, including 4 case series and 14 case reports. Patients mostly underwent reconstructive breast surgery (75%). The median number of leeches used was two, with a median number of three leeching sessions per day and 3 days of leeching. Medicinal leeching successfully prevented the loss of 75% of all tissue transfers. The complication rate was high at 81.14% and mainly included infection and anaemia. Conclusions: Medicinal leeching is an effective method to relieve venous congestion in breast surgery but must be judiciously used within the clinical context of the patient to maximise efficacy and mitigate harm from complications.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Zusammenfassung
18 studies and 28 patients with leech-treated venous congestion in breast surgery (75% reconstructive). Successful tissue salvage in 75% of cases, but a high complication rate of 81% (mainly infection and anemia).
Warum dies für die Hirudotherapie relevant ist
This systematic review examined 18 studies (covering 28 patients) to evaluate the methodology, efficacy, and complications of medicinal leeching for venous congestion in breast surgery. The review found that leeching successfully prevented tissue loss in 75% of cases, establishing it as an effective rescue method, though it was associated with a high complication rate of 81.14% (primarily infection and anemia). This synthesis is highly relevant to the ASH domain as it aggregates clinical data on hirudotherapy outcomes and highlights the critical need for careful patient management to mitigate risks. The review's conclusions are inherently limited by the underlying quality of the included studies, which were exclusively case reports and case series.
Zitation
The Use of Medicinal Leeching in Breast Surgery: A Systematic Review.
Rajaram R et al. · Journal of clinical medicine, 2024
Verwandter klinischer Kontext
Erfahren Sie, wie diese Forschung mit der klinischen Praxis verknüpft ist
Zur ASH-Bibliothek hinzugefügt: May 26, 2026 · Letzte Aktualisierung der Website: June 18, 2026