Surgeons Rediscover Leeches

The very thought of a leech is enough to make most of us pull back in disgust, but this creature which was a very important part of medicine from very ancient times, through to the nineteenth century, has been used in the treatment of many different diseases.

The Ancient Egyptians used leeches for blood letting more than two and a half thousand years ago and they were also used for treatment in the Indian and Greek systems of medicine. Their use gradually fell into decline over a period of years.  It was not until the 1980’s that leeches began to be used in modern medicine.

Today it may have an important part to play in plastic surgery operations. These creatures are actually worms which are capable of sucking up three to four times their own body weight in blood. They also produce a natural anti-coagulant that prevents the blood from clotting. This natural chemical is called hirudin.

During plastic surgery, the surgeon transfers or grafts new skin onto the area that is damaged and the tissues become very badly bruised and congested with clotting blood. Applying leeches to reduce the swelling is an excellent and safe way to deal with this problem.

They stop the blood clotting and blocking the arteries, so there is a fresh supply of clear oxygenated blood flowing to the wound all the time and this also speeds up healing. It is, of course, a matter of preference for the doctor concerned and not all will use leeches.

This particular technique was first used and developed at the Pellegrin hospital in Bordeaux, France. Today, many hospitals in Europe and North America routinely use leeches for this purpose.