Open AccessHirudo medicinalis - historical and biological background and their role in microsurgery: Review article
Author(s) -
Abdül Kerim Yapıcı,
Muzaffer Durmuş,
Mehmet Tanyüksel,
Selim Türkkan,
Harun Yasin Tüzün,
Arsen Arsenishvili
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
hand and microsurgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2458-7834
DOI - 10.5455/handmicrosurg.217838
Subject(s) - hirudo medicinalis , microsurgery , medicine , surgery , computer science , world wide web , leech
The first recorded use of medicinal leeches has known from ancient Egypt. There was more widespread written reference to their employment in the first century AD. In the 1980s, French surgeons utilized leeches to maintain venous circulation in distal finger replantations that were subject to arterial anastomosis. Leeches are currently used in hirudotherapy, microvascular replantation, reconstructive surgery, and the treatment of venous congestion that takes place upon trauma surgery. In this paper, hirudotherapy is presented for plastic surgery and discussed are the related complications and benefits. [Hand Microsurg 2017; 6(1.000): 34-38