Are leeches the new plastic surgeons?

Following an ancient medical tradition, surgeons have used bloodsucking leeches to help reattach a woman's face

An employee of the International Medical Leech Centre demonstrates with a leech on her face in the village of Udelnaya
(Image credit: REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov)

Imagine having your face ripped off in a vicious attack — by your own dog. Now imagine having doctors treat your wound by covering your face with bloodsucking leeches. That's what happened to a woman in Sweden, and the procedure helped doctors reattach a patch of skin from her upper lip to her eye. Here, a guide to this life-changing operation:

What exactly happened?

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