Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure
leech therapy
[ leech ther-uh-pee ]
Subclass of:
Therapeutic procedure
Definitions related to leech therapy:
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(leeching) The application of LEECHES to the body to draw blood for therapeutic purposes. Such medicinal leeching, an ancient medical practice, is still being used in microsurgery and the treatment of venous congestion or occlusion.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Application of medicinal leeches to help drain replanted or transplanted tissue engorged with venous bloodNursing Interventions ClassificationUniversity of Iowa, 2007
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(hirudotherapy) The use of leeches for medical therapy. From hirudin, the active principle in the salivary secretion of leeches that acts as a potent anticoagulant (bloodthinner). Hirudotherapy is mainly used in trauma and plastic and reconstructive surgery to salvage tissue flaps and skin grafts whose viability is threatened by venous congestion.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Leeching, the application of a living leech to the skin in order to initiate blood flow or deplete blood from a localized area of the body. Through the 19th century leeching was frequently practiced in Europe, Asia, and America to deplete the body of quantities of blood, in a manner similar to...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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