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Toxins and Hemostasis pp 735–745Cite as

Leeches in Microsurgery – An Evidence-Based Approach

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Abstract

Leeches for medical use for blood-letting have a rather long tradition back to 1500 B.C. In microsurgery leeches have been extensively used clinically usually for relief of venous congestion. As such, procedures like scalp replantation, pedicled and free flap surgery, ear replantation as well as finger replantation have been successfully performed with the help of leeches. The chapter reviews the anatomical and physiological basis of medicinal leeches and the clinical applications in an evidence-based medicine approach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

    Karsten Knobloch

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  1. Karsten Knobloch
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Correspondence to Karsten Knobloch .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Science Drive 4 14, Singapore, 117543, Singapore

    R. Manjunatha Kini

  2. , Department of Haematology, University of Berne, Inselspital, Bern, CH-3010, Switzerland

    Kenneth J Clemetson

  3. , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Health Sciences Campus/9270, Los Angeles, 90089, USA

    Francis S. Markland

  4. , Medical Technology, University of Delaware, 305G Willard Hall Educ Bld, Newark, 19716, Delaware, USA

    Mary Ann McLane

  5. , Biochemistry, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Nishio Kiyose 2-522-1, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan

    Takashi Morita

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Knobloch, K. (2010). Leeches in Microsurgery – An Evidence-Based Approach. In: Kini, R., Clemetson, K., Markland, F., McLane, M., Morita, T. (eds) Toxins and Hemostasis. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9295-3_42

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