A case report: hirudotherapy as a treatment modality in the microsurgery
Case report published in Turkiye parazitolojii dergisi (2013)
Abstract
Medicinal leeches are known to inject more than 100 bioactive substances in the tissue whilst sucking blood. They are being successfully used for the treatment of diseases and symptoms, especially in plastic surgery. We report the case of a 7-year old boy, who had lost the first phalanx of the middle finger of the right hand after an accident. The detached digit was replanted in the plastic surgery clinic, and treated within a period of 15 days with medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis). Soon after the initiation of the hirudotherapy, the revascularisation of the re-attached phalanx, as well as the resolving of tissue oedema and pain was observed. Turkish physicians should be aware of the advantages of hirudotherapy in plastic and reconstructive surgery, especially in cases of detached digits and flaps.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
In a 7-year-old boy whose replanted middle-finger phalanx was treated with Hirudo medicinalis leeches for 15 days, hirudotherapy was followed by revascularization of the digit and resolution of tissue oedema and pain.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This case report describes the use of medicinal leech therapy (Hirudo medicinalis) in a 7-year-old boy following replantation of a detached finger phalanx, with reported revascularization and resolution of tissue edema and pain over a 15-day treatment period. The report describes the clinical application of leech salivary bioactive substances, illustrating their role in supporting tissue survival after microsurgical replantation. However, as a single case report, it provides only anecdotal observational evidence without quantitative outcome metrics, and cannot establish treatment efficacy, optimal protocols, or generalizability to broader patient populations.
Citation
Reference (Vancouver style)
Arusan S, Bayar B, Gödekmerdan A, Sağlam N. [A case report: hirudotherapy as a treatment modality in the microsurgery]. Turkiye Parazitol Derg. 2013;37(2):154-156. doi:10.5152/tpd.2013.34. PMID: 23955917
Bibliographic details (authors, volume, pages, DOI) are taken from the PubMed record.
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