Hirudotherapy: advantages and disadvantages of treatment with leeches

Varicose veins of the lower extremities make hundreds of thousands of people suffer from the manifestations of this disease. Treatment of varicose veins is carried out by different methods depending on the stage. Hirudotherapy has always aroused interest regarding the possibilities of treating varicose veins.

For some, it is based on distrust of the unconventional method, for others, treatment with leeches is the main hope. Hirudotherapy brings a different effect, and it depends on the severity of the lesion. What are the advantages and disadvantages of treatment with leeches?

What is the purpose of treatment with leeches: the properties of hirudin

Leeches are annelids that are artificially grown for medicinal purposes. The main active substance secreted by leeches is  hirudin.

Leech treatment is a serious procedure that has a complex effect on the state of the body. Treatment sessions with leeches should be carried out after a comprehensive examination of the patient by a phlebologist. The effect of treatment with leeches can only be obtained after several sessions, thanks to the properties of leeches hirudin.

Medical leech: benefits and harms

Hirudin has the following properties:

• It has antithrombotic activity, destroys blood clots of various sizes inside the veins.
• Improves the rheological properties of blood, improves microcirculation, that is, hirudin slows down blood clotting, which is very important for varicose veins.
• Hirudin is able to quickly eliminate swelling of the leg.
• Decreases the volume of circulating blood. This reduces the load on the altered vessels of the leg.
• Hirudin has an immunostimulating and antioxidant effect.
• Hirudin has a bacteriostatic and anti-inflammatory effect.

How is the procedure of treatment with leeches

The leech treatment procedure requires time, calmness and patience from the patient. Firstly, the sight of the leeches themselves can frighten a person or cause some kind of disgust. The specialist must prepare the patient for this. It is also worth warning the patient that at the beginning of treatment with leeches there will be pain.

Before the very beginning of the procedure, the limbs are treated with warm water and a neutral, odorless soap. A jar of leeches is brought to the dry skin of the limb, which stick to the skin for several minutes. If the leech does not stick to the surface of the skin, it is replaced with another one.

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A feature of the placement of leeches is their staggered arrangement between altered veins, excluding places of pronounced trophic disorders and varicose dermatitis.  Usually, about 6 leeches are used, less often up to 12. The session lasts about an hour. When removing leeches, bleeding of varying intensity is possible. Bleeding usually resolves on its own, otherwise a pressure bandage should be applied.

What are the benefits of leech treatment

After the sessions of treatment with leeches, the therapeutic effect lasts quite a long time. The result of therapy directly depends on the initial state of the veins, so reviews about the treatment with leeches in different people may be opposite. After hirudotherapy sessions, patients feel the absence of pain and heaviness in the legs, swelling decreases or disappears. Significantly improves the appearance of the limb.

Main Benefits of Leech Treatment:

• No effect on the body of medicinal chemicals.
• No complex surgery.
• Available to almost every patient.
• The presence of concomitant chronic diseases is not a contraindication to the procedure.
• It has a positive effect on the course of hypertension.

In addition to the benefits, leech treatment causes complications and has its drawbacks.

What are the disadvantages of leech treatment that cause distrust in the procedure

Negative reviews and shortcomings often appear, therefore, they are the basis for a cautious attitude towards treatment with leeches.

Complications from leech therapy:

• Development of local purulent inflammation with development of phlegmon and abscess.
• Development of an allergic reaction, sometimes systemic.
• Massive bleeding.
• Prolonged presence of pain.
• Pigment spots formed at the site of fixation of the leech.
• Formation of trophic ulcers.

There are cases when treatment with leeches brings an effect that is not long-lasting, after which the courses of hirudotherapy are repeated. Treatment with leeches can eliminate swelling in varicose veins of the lower extremities, but only in the initial stages of the disease.

Many surgeons and phlebologists are suspicious of leeches. Thus, there is no unambiguous opinion about the effectiveness and safety. Each case is individual, and it is very difficult to predict the development of complications. Therefore, the effectiveness of treatment with leeches is still a question without an exact answer.