Medicinal Leech Therapy: Friend or Foe
Narrative review published in Plastic surgical nursing : official journal of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Nurses (2016)
Abstract
Leech therapy is the ancient practice of bloodletting or bloodsucking and is considered one of the oldest medical practices known. Its use has spanned centuries and is still used in plastic surgery practices today when performing free flaps and replants. The purpose of this article is to discuss the history of this ancient therapy and to describe the leech and its present indications, complications, contraindications, and techniques.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
An overview of medicinal leech therapy tracing bloodletting's long history to its present use in plastic surgery for free flaps and replants, and describing the leech along with current indications, complications, contraindications, and techniques.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This article discusses the history of leech therapy from its ancient origins through its continued use in modern plastic surgery, specifically in free flap and replant procedures. It describes the leech and reviews present-day indications, complications, contraindications, and techniques. The article provides a historical and practical overview of hirudotherapy, documenting both the longevity of the practice and its specific contemporary clinical applications in surgery. As a historical article, the work is descriptive in scope and does not present new experimental findings, quantitative data, or systematic analysis of outcomes; its value lies in contextual background rather than serving as a source of current mechanistic or clinical evidence.
Citation
Added to ASH library: March 18, 2026 · Site last updated: November 1, 2026