How does leech therapy helps after facial reconstructive surgery – Preserving soft tissue and Promoting healing?
Today reconstructive therapy in which reattaching a digit and reconnecting the blood vessels is big and a painful task as this work is carried under the microscope. “Leech therapy after reconstructive surgery“. Most of the plastic surgeon explains their problem while reestablishing the blood flow is that they get arteries to reattach but not get the veins due to which the venous drainage gets affected.
The same problem is seen a tram flap or in the case where abdominal tissue is taken to create new tissues in the breast after mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast), where venous drainage is one of the problems due to which engorgement of the blood takes place as blood does not get an area to go out.
If the veins remain open after surgery than this can create a major problem for the patient.
To solve this issue the doctors use leech therapy so that the slight bleeding may continues (little amount) till the veins anastomosis takes place for the venous drainage.
Leech therapy is used after the failure of the more conventional treatment which includes
- Warming
- Use of aspirin
- Use of rheomacrodex
- Immobilization
- Elevation of the affected area
- Use of local heparin
- Vasodilators so as to improve venous flow
But before applying leech therapy, the patient should be given detailed information about the benefits and potential risks of the treatment. Written consent should be taken by the patient, their parents, and relative or by a legal guardian before starting with leech therapy.
Leech therapy after facial reconstructive surgery
Leech therapy is used for many diseases to maintain homeostasis in the body. Along with this leech therapy has gained its value in preserving and promoting healing after facial reconstructive surgery.
This therapy for after facial surgery was first conducted by Deganc and Zdravic in 1960 in which they first treated congested flap with the help of leeches. Till now leech therapy has its own remarkable importance after facial surgery.
In July 2004 the FDA has approved leeches for the medical practice in the field of facial and plastic reconstructive surgery.
Need for Leech therapy for facial reconstructive surgery
Leeches are used for after facial reconstructive surgery during the critical post-operation period when the venous flow of the blood is not able to reach the arterial inflow which causes venous congestion.
This venous congestion can be seen as a dark purplish colour appearance on the skin. If this venous congestion is not corrected at the right time, this can cause the death of cells and as a result flap or finger may be lost.
So medical leeches are used here rescue the compromised microvasculature free tissue transfer, and replanted body part until the microvasculature circulation gradually improves for the proper venous return.
This venous obstruction produces the condition like microcirculatory thrombosis, stasis, and platelet trapping. So even after successful reconstructive surgery with re-anastomosis, secondary changes can present and persist in microvasculature which prevents the adequate outflow of venous blood.
Medical leeches help to treat the tissue where the venous insufficiency is present by producing the temporary venous flow until new microvasculature takes place.