Leeching is used to relieve venous congestion in microscopically replanted tissues. A quantitative description of the effects of leech application on tissue perfusion has not been reported. We report a case of an ear replantation in which venous congestion was consistently improved with leeching. In four instances, quantitative fluorimetry, which indicated impaired circulation and prompted leech application, showed restoration of normal circulation patterns following leech application. The fluorometric studies suggested that arterial inflow improved and venous congestion was relieved.
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Anthony et al. (1989) studied this question.