Comparisons of medicinal leech therapy with venous catheterization in the treatment of venous congestion of the sural flap
Randomized controlled trial published in Microsurgery (2010)
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The originally described distally based sural flap technique has a risk of partial or total flap necrosis as high as 25%. The purpose of this study was to compare the medicinal leech therapy (MLT) with venous catheterization (VC) for blood volume removal, infection, wound dehiscence, and flap necrosis in the distally based sural flap with venous congestion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-six conventional distally based sural flaps with venous congestion during reconstructive surgeries were randomly divided into two groups, MLT group and VC group. The results of comparisons were analyzed using SPSS software (SPSS for Windows Ver.11.5). RESULTS: There were significant differences in terms of the average volume of removed blood (53.6cc vs.172.2cc), infection (10.7% vs. 34.6%), wound dehiscence (10.7% vs. 42.3%), flap necrosis (3.6% vs. 19.2%), and nursing (7.8 vs. 5.19) and patient's satisfaction (8.03 vs. 5.6) in the VC group and MLT group, respectively. Although local heparin irrigation was performed in the VC group, the catheter was exchanged in 10 patients due to obstruction by clot. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that the VC be used for congested pedicled flaps instead of leech therapy, as VC is more effective, easy, and safe in blood removal, and it has less complication.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
RCT of 56 sural flaps with venous congestion comparing medicinal leech therapy versus venous catheterization. VC group showed less infection (10.7% vs 34.6%), wound dehiscence (10.7% vs 42.3%), and flap necrosis (3.6% vs 19.2%).
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
Este estudio sobre 56 colgajos surales pediculados distales con congestión venosa, divididos aleatoriamente en dos grupos, comparó la terapia con sanguijuelas medicinales (MLT) con la cateterización venosa (VC) en cuanto a volumen de extracción sanguínea, infección, dehiscencia de la herida y necrosis del colgajo. El grupo MLT mostró una mayor extracción sanguínea promedio (172,2 cc frente a 53,6 cc en el grupo VC) pero mayores tasas de infección (34,6 % frente a 10,7 %), dehiscencia de la herida (42,3 % frente a 10,7 %) y necrosis del colgajo (19,2 % frente a 3,6 %), con menores puntuaciones de satisfacción del personal de enfermería y de los pacientes; los autores concluyeron que la VC debería reemplazar la terapia con sanguijuelas para los colgajos pediculados congestionados. Para ASH, esto es directamente relevante como una comparación controlada cabeza a cabeza
Citación
Comparisons of medicinal leech therapy with venous catheterization in the treatment of venous congestion of the sural flap.
Mozafari N et al. · Microsurgery, 2010
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Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 27, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: 18 de junio de 2026