Pittsburgh is medical leech 'burgh

The Food and Drug Administration this week ruled that leeches are medical devices, though Pittsburgh doctors already use the blood-suckers when needed.

The doctors have long used leeches for tissue reattachment and reconstructive surgery. Today's leeches have carved out a niche in post-operative hospital care. Leeches applied to reattached tissue keep blood from pooling in the tissue before full circulation can be restored.

Dr. Fred Deleyiannis, a professor of plastic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, said his department administers the leech treatment every few months.

For instance, an Ohio prison inmate on Monday was brought to the emergency room at UPMC Presbyterian hospital after his ear was bitten off in a scuffle. Deleyiannis used a leech following emergency surgery to reattach the ear.

"You can make cuts and irrigate the area, but leeches are probably the most efficient anticoagulant out there," he said.

Mercy Hospital keeps its own private leech farm, said Dr. Guy M. Stofman, chief of plastic surgery. The blood-suckers are hungry and ready to get to work at a moment's notice, Stofman said.

"The pharmacy keeps them in a small tank. We may go months without using them, but we are able to keep them on standby," he said.

The Mercy doctor said side-effects attributed to leeches are minimal as long as patients' blood levels are closely watched. An organism carried in some leeches' salivary glands can be dangerous to humans, but an antibiotic is administered to stave off infection.

Patients treated with leeches aren't always thrilled about having the suckers stuck to them for as long as several days, but doctors agreed they get over it.

"There can be some anxiety or fear of the animals, a general uneasiness. We try to sequester the wound so the patient doesn't see it," Stofman said.