Those blood-sucking leeches you loathe could save a limb -- or your life

If the thought of leeches fills you with disgust, it might be time to adjust your attitude. The blood suckers have come to hold an esteemed place in the medical world -- and not without good cause.

Consider the good that leeches did in treating Marc Miller after a motorcycle crash severely damaged one of his feet. This Baltimore Sun story tells what happened.

RELATED: What using leeches feels like for patients

Leeches were approved as a “medical device” in 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration and have been marketed as such ever since.

Still not won over? Consider that leeches and maggots, another often maligned species, also are effective in cleaning wounds.

So maybe now that disgust will give way to delight. Eh, maybe not -- but they’re there if you ever need them.