Leech Therapy and Modern Surgery

Application Of Leech Therapy In Clinical Practice

Leech Therapy in Ayurveda (Buergers Diseases)

Dr. Manzoor Ahmad is working as an Associate Professor at Z.V.M. Unani Medical College and Hospital, Azam Campus, Pune. He is also working as the Consultant Surgeon and performed plenty of Surgeries. He has achieved the Ibne sina NATIONAL AWARD at an international conference at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh in 2018. He has presented many research papers and delivered expert lectures in various National & international Conferences and Seminars.

Leech therapy is a keen area of his interest and he is practicing it since the last few years. The present book "The Leech Therapy and Modern Surgery" covers most of the available knowledge based on various researches regarding leech and its therapy; it also contains Indications such as plastic and reconstructive surgery, general surgery, ENT, Ischemic heart diseases, method of practice of leech therapy with adverse effects and contraindications. In other words, the book is a guide to practice Leech therapy, especially in the field of Surgery. This book will definitely help practitioners to practice Leech Therapy

I feel very happy to see a book written on Leech therapy, as there was no book available on this emerging topic of Medicine, which is being published now. This book is really very informative about the indications of leech therapy. Pharmacological actions of leech saliva even complications and contraindications of leech therapy. In other words, the book is an answer of every question regarding leech therapy.

Dr. Manzoor Ahmad is Associate Professor of Surgery at the Z.V.M. Unani Medical College and he is working at same college for the last eighteen years and has achieved a status of a good teacher. I know that he was doing work on leech therapy for last three years and delivered a number of special lectures at various national conferences also presented research papers on the same subject amongst intellectual gatherings and secured a good status. He has acquired a good status in the field Surgery as well as in the field of Leech therapy due to his hard work.

The Practitioners, Teachers and students of medicine will definitely be benefited from this book, and use this detailed book for their Medical practice and further researches in the field of indigenous system of medicine. I am sure that this effort of Dr. Manzoor Ahmad will give a good status in the Academic field. It will be an asset to the research scholars for their research work especially in field of leech therapy.

This book deals with detailed description regarding a parasurgical procedure Leech Therapy (Jalaukavacharana) Agnikarma in Ayurvedic and modern perspective. The Raktamokshana, Rakta, their historical aspect, method of Jalaukavacharana (Leech therapy), about Leeches, clinical significance of Leech therapy, their indication & contraindication, status of research, Leech farming, various references, index etc mentioned in this book. The authors tried to give a vivid pictures for the doctors, clinician, undergraduate scholars, postgraduate scholars and researchers. Simple language with specific description is the unique features of this book. The primary aim of this book is to make the thought of Leech therapy more straightforward and understandable to the learner and clinician by presenting it on practical background.

Dr. Mahesh Kumar

Born at :Village-Garha, Post-Mara, Districtt. Gonda (U.P.) India-271305

Father- L. Ramdeen Gupta, Mother Smt. Sudama Devi

Education :

B.Sc. (Zoology Chemistry, Botany from RMLAwadh University Faizabad)

BAMS(Ayurvedacharya, SAC, Lucknow university),

M.S(Ay)(Ayurveda Dhanwantari, from IMS BHU Varanasi),

Certificate course in Yoga (Lucknow Uni.) & Hospitalmanagement (BHU).

Skill /expertness : General surgical care, Anorectal disorders and Ksharasutra Therapy, Raktamokshana (scrapping, venipuncture, Leech therapy), Agnikarma, Uttarbasti, emergency care.

Work experience & Teaching Experience : House officer (HO) and Resident medical officer (RMO) at SAC & Hospital Lucknow. Now working as Assistant Professor Shalya Tantra at CBPACS New Delhi. Have fortunate enough work culture experience of BHU Varanasi the capital of knowledge, state Ayurvedic College Lucknow and CBPACS New Delhi. Have a keen interest in teaching (>5 years), training, academic research and patient care. Also have experience of ROTP, TOT, refreshers courses in Ayurveda. Have a Pioneer work and unique experience on Leech farming/cultivation.

Publication etc. : Publication 22, Paper presentation 31, workshop 16, CME 6, Refresher course/Training 08, Medical camp & social awareness events (20)

Award : Merit award (in BAMS), Ayurveda Visharad Award (from Himmalaya pharmaceuticals), merit award from Charak Pharma and merit award in conferences.

Book Published : 01(Application of Agnikarma in surgical Practices)

Dr. Sunil Kumar Pandey

Father Name : Late Prasidh Pandey

Date of Birth : 02/01/1981

Birth Place : Sasaram, Bihar (India)

Education : BAMS (Ayurvedacharya, IMS, BHU), M.S( Ay)(Ayurveda Dhanwantari, from IMS BHU Varanasi), Certificate course in Yoga

Skill /expertness : Keen interest in academic activity, patient care, general surgery.

Work experience & Teaching Experience : Now working as Assistant Professorin Department of Shalya Tantra at Ayurveda & UnaniTibbia College Karol Bagh New Delhi. He has more than 7 years' experience of teachingin Shalya Tanta

Article Publication : He published more than 20 papers in various national & International journals.

Book Published -2 Life time member of National Sushruta Association.

It is a matter of great pleasure to write a foreword to Dr. Mahesh Kumar & Dr. S. K. Pandey book titled "Application of Leech Therapy in clinical Practices". The history of Ayurvedic Shalya tantra (surgical discipline) is very prehistoric and rich. The surgery was on such admirable height in Sushruta period which is not comparable at present era. Sushruta made more attention on Shalya Tantra among Astanga Ayurveda which includes an exclusive treatment modality by name of Raktamokshana (bloodletting). The Raktamokshana contains various types like Siravedha (venepuncture), prachhana (scarification), Jalaukavacharana, Shringa, Alaabu therapy. Among these procedures, the Jalaukavacharana is Leech therapy and it is a unique method of bloodletting.

Leech therapy is an important parasurgical procedure. Although it is very effective therapy but much confusion and unawareness exist in society regarding its application and result. There is a physical necessity of such books which pronounce the subject elaborately in the present situation & disregard the confusion from students, clinician, and researchers. The author's review the Ayurvedic literature including various research works and adding own experiences on Leech therapy. Accurate description in simple language is the attractiveness of this book. I know the authors very well and satisfied with their views. I also hope that the authors will, retain his interest to bring out a few more such books.

**Contents and Sample Pages**

The Leech Application in Ayurveda is a original research work of augmenting various original topics related to the types Leeches. Compounds of leech saliva, therapeutic uses with its specific indications. A thorough attempt was made to compile the original classical information by rearranging the vast and varied material keeping Ayurveda in the limelight and as well as made easy for easy understanding of the contents to the contemporary generations. The speciality of this book is mainly focused in the management in the Burgers disease.(thrombo angitis obliterans) with a comparison to Ayurvedic classics incorporating the Dropplers study as a objective study and estabilishing how a traditional leech application in the context of Ayurveda with scientific approach. The thematically arranged contents, illustrative events, original visuals documents, tabular presentations and well accepted scientific data would definitely convince the intelligentsia and diseases which are considered to be impossible by the western scientists. This book is an interesting attempt to bridge the gap between the two sciences, the ancient wisdom and modern using a rare disease as its model with the leech application.

Dr. Martha Bhaskar Rao M.D. (AY) is an Professor at the S.V. Ayurvedic College, Tirupathi, INDIA. He has had a brilliant academic career with a University 1” Rank and also a recipient of Gold Medal. He was awardee of ‘Young Scientist’ by the World Congress of Natural Medicine-S.V. University, Tirupathi, for his surgical skills and extensive service of Ksharasutra application in High anal fistulae. He was post graduated from the Govt. College of Indian Medicine Bangalore from the Govt. College of Indian Medicine Bangalore University, Bangalore He did his Ph.D at NIA-jaipur. He has more than 25 publications to his credit in religion and International journals. Being teacher of Ayurveda and Prolific writer in Telugu contribution articles on Ayurveda in local journals and papers. Dr. Rao has attended several important conferences and seminars both in India and abroad.

Susrutha Samhita is an authentic science to provide the scope of surgery in Ayurvedic system of medicine. The art of surgery of those days is still appreciable today, because of their spiritual, psychological and philosophical aspects can greatly improve the care and quality of surgical patients. Its logic of decision making, the diagnostic soundness and wealth of various treatment specialties makes this science a compendium of Ayurvedic surgery. It includes a specialized blood letting method i.e., Raktamokshana with special reference to leech application was adopted in the management of Thrombo Angitis Obliterations. The main concern of the surgeon in this regard is a tragic end of amputation. The basis of leech application is to correct the pathological and heamodynamic disturbances and as well as to restore the normal circulation in saving the limb.

The incidence of arterial disease has assumed alarming proportions all over the world. Considering the fact that the basic aetiological factors in acquired arterial disease are not yet fully understood and the precise biochemical abnormalities are yet to be fully elucidated. There is a need for further study to gain insight into this disease. Obscure medical treatment cannot be directed to correct or reverse the cause of the disease once it is established. Acute occlusions of the arterial tree are catastrophic in their appearance and progress, yet yield good results with early therapeutic measures. Chronic Obstructive lesions on the other hand are a bugbear for the clinician both in terms of diagnosis and treatment. The vast majority of such chronic occlusive lesions are the result of Atherosclerosis, Thrombo Angitis Obliterations, Diabetes Mellitus and certain other uncommon causes.

Thrombo Angitis Obliterations or Buerger’s Disease is a generalized occlusive vascular disease affecting predominantly young males of low socioeconomic status with special prediction to involve the lower extremities. The disease has worldwide distribution though it is more prevalent in Indonesia, India and the Orient. Buerger in his first paper published in 1908 brought out a new concept of pathogenesis, which concluded that the disease started as an acute inflammation of vessels. Which leads to formation of thrombi. Pathologically it is extremities with stages of exacerbation and remissions. The occlusion of vessel by thrombus contains focus of extremities with stages of exacerbation and remissions. The occlusion of vessel by thrombus contains focus of intense polymorph infiltratration. The whole thickness of vessel wall is involved by neutrophils and most of these vessels thromboses. These changes give way to chronic inflammation and thrombus is replaced ny granulation tissue. The lesion almost always begins in medium sized or small arteries but seldom-large vessels.

This study is based on the application of Leeches to the affected lesion of Thrombo Angitis Obliterations cases of which were identified and treated in T.T.D, s S.V. Ayurvedic College, Tirupathi-A.P and Post Graduate Department of Shalyatantra, NIA Jaipur-Rajasthan during the period of March 2007 to July 2008.

The present study was undertaken with the following objectives. To explore the possiblw=e pharmacodynamics and mechanism of Leech treatment in the management of Thrombo Angitis Obliterations.

To study the possible bio-chemical changes of disease and attempt will be made to endeavor to forestall the progress of the disease and prevent the tragic gangrenous finish with leech management.

To determine the various etiologic factors in Thrombo Angitis Obligerations (T.A.O).

To study the fundamental principles laid down by Sustra (800 B.C) in regarding with Raktavahasrotodusti of the Buerger’s (Thrombo Angitis Obliterations) disease.