Free flap success rates are in excess of 95%. Vascular occlusion (thrombosis) remains the
primary reason for flap loss, with venous thrombosis being more common than arterial …

PURPOSE Animals may be present in healthcare facilities for multiple reasons. Although
specific laws regarding the use of service animals in public facilities were established in the …

This study analyzed the surgical outcome and complications of 1000 microvascular free
flaps performed at the authors' institution in Germany, between 1987 and 2010. 972 patients …

Introduction Medicinal leeches have been part of the therapeutic armamenterium of plastic
surgeons for more than 50 years. While their use in hand surgery is a matter of course, their …

Background: Leech therapy was commonly used in traditional medicine for treating localized
pain. Clinically significant pain relief after leech therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee has …

Background: Although there are numerous case reports and small case series describing
the experiences of leech therapy in various circumstances, there are relatively few large …

The medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, has been used with increasing frequency for
salvage of compromised pedicled flaps and microvascular free-tissue transfers. The data …

Microvascular free flaps are preferred for most major head and neck reconstruction
surgeries because of better functional outcomes, improved esthetics, and generally higher …

The European medicinal leech has been used for medicinal purposes for millennia, and
continues to be used today in modern hospital settings. Its utility is granted by the extremely …

The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is becoming a widely practiced method of
autologous breast reconstruction. Although it has been shown to be a safe and reliable …