“Leech is not good for varicose veins”

Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali İhsan Tekin said that leech treatment does not benefit from the short-term relief of the patient in varicose veins and said, “In the secondary applications of leech, there is a possibility of blood-borne diseases passing to the person who is applied.”

Stating that varicose veins flow backwards due to valve insufficiency in the veins, Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali İhsan Tekin said that leech is not a permanent treatment for varicose veins since the main problem is found in the valve.

“Leech only provides temporary relief”

Stating that leech treatment has no benefit other than temporary relief in varicose veins patients, Dr. Tekin; “The basic pathology in varicose veins patients is the valve insufficiency in the veins that try to take the dirty blood from our legs to the upper part, that is, towards the heart, and the backward flow that develops due to this. As a result, dirty blood accumulates in our legs and starts to pool. When the leech is applied to the varicose veins in our legs, it sends an enzyme that has a blood thinning and pain relieving effect to that area with secretion. After secreting this blood thinning enzyme, it starts to suck the blood. As the blood is absorbed and the painkiller secretion is applied, the patient experiences temporary relief. However, since the main cause here is valve insufficiency and reflux flow, the application of leech does not have any positive effect on this pathology. In other words, after a temporary relief is provided to the patient, the symptoms in the patient will start after a while as the valve insufficiency and reflux flow continue. Therefore, leech treatment does not benefit the varicose vein patient other than temporary relief. It does not treat it permanently.”

“Blood-borne disease can be transmitted to the person to whom the leech is applied”

Stating that leeching should be done in a sterile environment and only once, Tekin stated that in secondary applications in leeching, there is a possibility of transmitting blood-borne diseases to the person applied. Tekin continued his words as follows;

“After leech applications, we see infected patients who apply to our clinic here. Apart from that, we have patients who apply with bleeding. We have patients who come to our clinic without being able to stop bleeding. Without the leech being applied in a sterile environment, there is a possibility of transmission of diseases transmitted by blood to the person applied, especially in secondary applications of leech. Therefore, if leech applications are performed; these applications must be performed in sterile clinics with a Traditional Complementary Medicine diploma. If you have varicose veins, you should definitely consult a Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist and necessary treatments should be performed. Leech does not have a permanent treatment effect on varicose veins.”