ArticlePlastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open2019
A Comprehensive Review of Medicinal Leeches in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Article in Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Applications of leech therapy in medicine: a systematic review.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Nasopharyngeal live leech infestation: an unusual cause of posterior bloody nasal discharge: two case reports.International journal of surgery case reports · 2026Article
- Successful Penile Replantation Following Amputation During Neonatal Circumcision: Case Report and Systematic Review.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- Hirudins and ornatins in five species of the genus Placobdella (Annelida: Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae).Protoplasma · 2026Article
- Case report: Heparin coagulant super-sensitivity during leech therapy.Thrombosis journal · 2026Article
- Off-Label Sildenafil Citrate as a Rescue Therapy for Areolar Venous Congestion Post-Breast Reduction: Case Series and Outcomes.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- Hirudin and the evolution of leeches in medicine.Anaesthesia and intensive care · 2024Article
- The Use of Medicinal Leeching in Breast Surgery: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Hirudotherapy Efficacy and Complications in the Management of Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.World journal of plastic surgery · 2024Review
- Indications, anaesthesia and postoperative protocol for replantation and revascularization in the hand in Nordic countries.The Journal of hand surgery, European volume · 2023Article
- Posttraumatic Lip Replantation in a Pregnant Woman.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2022Article
- LethalAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Hirudotherapy for limb ischemia in the pediatric intensive care unit: A retrospective observational cohort.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2022Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Medicinal leeches are a US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for venous congestion in graft tissue to promote healing and can serve as a nonsurgical option for plastic surgery patients with concern for tissue compromise. Although there is a wealth of documentation on medicinal leech therapy, the surgical space currently lacks an updated summary of proper indications, use, and risks as they pertain to plastic surgical patients. The purpose of this article is to provide a platform for understanding the recent literature as it relates to reconstruction to improve understanding of indications and necessary considerations in using hirudotherapy. Topics examined include basics of hirudotherapy, indications in plastic surgery, implementation (leech application, number and duration of therapy, and removal), risks (infection and bleeding), and alternative treatments. The evidence provided will aid in physician understanding and implementation, patient counseling, and the informed consent process.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.