Leech therapy for venous congestion following myocutaneous pectoralis flap reconstruction.

Medicinal leech therapy is recorded as early as 200 B.C. to treat everything from mental illness to headaches. The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) is used today as a successful treatment for venous congestion following replantation or transplantation of tissue. This paper discusses specific leeching properties, indications for use, nursing care and expected outcomes of leech therapy.