Creepy Surgeons

There is a type of surgeons who do not have hands, legs, but they can be considered as a professional especially in the field of reconstructive surgery.

With them around, patients' reconstructive surgeries will have higher chances of success, and time taken for the wound to heal will also be much faster.

However, even though the surgeons has such a good reputation in this area, many patients do not like to be treated by them.

This is because, the surgeons are flesh-craving and uses their mouth to treat patients!

The use of leeches to cure illnesses took place more than 2500 years ago in Egypt, where the Egyptians used leeches to drain "impure blood" from the body to cure many kind of illnesses. Nowadays, leeches are still widely used in post surgical treatments. The components in the saliva of the leeches have quite a number of therapeutic values, the saliva can relieve venous congestion (accumulation of blood abnormally) and improve blood flow to the compromised free tissue flaps.

The leeches' saliva contains anticoagulants that prevent blood from clotting. After a full meal of blood, the leech will detach itself from the patient, the anticoagulants left behind will still be effective for up to several hours. As a result, blood will continue to ooze out of the wounds.

Source: Click Here

This may sound scary, but this is essential to prevent venous congestion and encourage re-establishment of blood flow through the tissues after reconstructive surgery. If venous congestion occurs, and blood does not flow through the replanted tissue, the reconstructive surgery is deem to fail. Without proper blood flow, the replanted tissue is unable to get oxygen supply, it will turn black and become useless.

During leech therapy, leeches ensure constant blood flow in the areas, new veins will extend into the reconstructed part from the healthy tissue and promote re-establishment of adequate blood drainage.

However, there are still some adverse effects in leech therapy.

• Patients may experience local pain during the therapy. As the anesthetic effect of the leech saliva may take a while to occur, the initial biting may trigger pain.
• Local itching will happen after the bite.
• Infection may take place if the leeches are not properly sterilised.

Leech therapy is an effective post surgical treatment, though it has its shortcomings, its advantages still shouldn't be overlooked.