Hirudotherapy for Venous Congestion in an Almost Completely Avulsed Earlobe without Microsurgical Repair
Research article published in Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open (2023)
Abstract
Venous congestion is a frequent and challenging complication after re-attachment or replantation of avulsed tissues, body parts, and flaps. It is often the reason for failure. One of the successful therapies to prevent and/or treat venous congestion is the use of medicinal leeches. There is sound evidence for its efficacy in plastic and reconstructive surgery for avulsed body parts or flaps. However, there is not enough evidence for its use in ear reconstruction or replantation, especially regarding the fragile tissue of the earlobes. The current study is the first in the literature to describe the use of hirudotherapy for venous congestion in an almost completely avulsed earlobe without microsurgical blood vessel repair, as a last resort in an otherwise healthy 38-year-old male patient who sustained trauma due to physical assault.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
Venous congestion is a frequent and challenging complication after re-attachment or replantation of avulsed tissues, body parts, and flaps. It is often the reason for failure.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This case report documents what the authors describe as the first reported use of hirudotherapy to treat venous congestion in an almost completely avulsed earlobe without microsurgical blood vessel repair, employed as a last resort in an otherwise healthy 38-year-old male following traumatic injury. The report addresses a specific gap in the literature: while medicinal leech therapy has established evidence in plastic and reconstructive surgery for avulsed tissues and flaps, the abstract notes that evidence for ear reconstruction—particularly involving the fragile tissue of the earlobe—has been insufficient. For ASH's domain, this report extends the documented clinical applications of leech therapy into a novel anatomical context and reinforces its role as a salvage intervention for venous outflow compromise. However, as a single case report with no quantitative outcome data presented in the abstract, its findings are necessarily limited in generalizability and cannot establish efficacy or safety for this specific indication.
Citation
Hirudotherapy for Venous Congestion in an Almost Completely Avulsed Earlobe without Microsurgical Repair.
Vargas N et al. · Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 2023
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