Case Studies

Take a look at some interesting case studies and discover the amazing benefits that hirudotherapy can achieve.

Case Studies

Pain and Scar Tissue

This is a common progression from the after bleeding from an injury that healed with scar tissue.

Plastic Surgery and Microsurgery

Medicinal leeches were used on 51 patients to salvage things like skin flaps, ears, fingers, tissue with compromised circulation, and even a near total tongue amputation.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Hirudin was used as prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis on 1,120 patients who had total hip replacement surgery.

Unstable Angina

Hirudin was compared to heparin in 166 patients with unstable angina. The occurrence of death or Myocardial infarction (heart attack) was aprox 3 times lower for hirudin.

Pain and Scar Tissue

This case is from a young male athlete who tore the biceps femoris (hamstring) during sports competition. He continued to play while injured which resulted in scar tissue forming during healing. Eventually when the injury failed to heal, he was forced to quit playing. Over a 2 year period, he went for various modern treatments such as PRP injections (platelet rich plasma) and exosome therapy which yielded some results but nothing remarkable.

Symptoms before leech therapy were knotted muscle tissue with palpable hard masses (scar tissue) in a 3x4 inch area on the lower thigh. He was unable to run without pain and tenderness.

After the first session, he felt a significant improvement in the tissue softness and pain had reduced. Weekly sessions were continued, you can note the change in discharge throughout the sessions as the pain and condition improved.

Session 1 after bleeding leech therapy

Session 1 after bleeding. Notice the amount of jelly like substance draining out due to the SGS secretion into the tissues.

Session 2 after bleeding leech therapy

Session 2 after bleeding, notice less jelly substance coming out, patient already feels a significant improvement.

Session 3 after bleeding leech therapy

Session 3 after bleeding, notice the jelly substance is less, but still present. Patient continues to improve, tissues are feeling softer and pain is further reduced.

Session 4 after bleeding leech therapy

Session 4 after bleeding, significantly less jelly like substance is draining out now, condition continues to improve.

Session 5 after bleeding leech therapy

Session 5 after bleeding, very little thick secretions are discharging. Patient feels back to normal, resuming regular activities.

Plastic Surgery and Microsurgery

Medicinal leeches were used on 51 patients to salvage things like skin flaps, ears, fingers, tissue with compromised circulation, and even a near total tongue amputation. Results showed fingers that had been replanted survived up to 60% of the time when leeches were used in the reattachment process as opposed to 0-20% success with other anticoagulants.

Excellent results were recorded for most of the skin flaps and ear, and the patient’s tongue was also salvaged. This is in large part due to the leeches ability to keep blood flowing while helping to restore microcirculation.

In another study of medicinal leeches for venous congestion and hematoma after plastic reconstructive surgery on 23 patients it was found that 87 % of cases were successful and only 3 cases developed or progressed to necrosis of the tip of the flap when leeches were applied within 24 hours.

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Deep Vein Thrombosis

Hirudin was used as prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis on 1,120 patients who had total hip replacement surgery. Hirudin was twice as effective as heparin in reducing overall rate of DVT and 6 times more effective than heparin for reducing proximal DVT.

Unstable Angina

American College of Chest physicians recommended that patients who complain of unstable angina should be on aspirin daily, intravenous heparin, ticlopidine (platelet inhibitor) twice daily, or warfarin for those who can not have aspirin or ticlopidine! The doctors rarely let you know that this will be a life long process. Hirudin was compared to heparin in 166 patients with unstable angina. The occurrence of death or Myocardial infarction (heart attack) was approximately 3 times lower for hirudin.

The use of hirudin vs heparin for treating 113 patients who underwent coronary angioplasty resulted in 10.3% death or emergency coronary surgery using heparin compared to only 1.4% death or emergency coronary surgery rate for those using hirudin.

For more detailed information on how hirudin can help with cardiovascular disease