Diabetic Ulcer Treatment With Maggots

Diabetes can greatly impact normal wound healing---particularly diabetic ulcers of the legs and feet. Maggot therapy is one such option for healing wounds unresponsive to other treatments. Research indicates it can be an effective therapy.

History

• According to the medical school Bastyr University, doctors used maggots as a standard treatment for removing damaged and infected tissue to promote wound healing throughout the 1930's, but the practice has waned in popularity since then.

How it Works

• Maggots make enzymes that help remove dead tissue and promote the growth of new tissue---they also have antiseptic properties good for combating infection.

Research

• A study published in the 2003 volume of Diabetes Care confirmed previous research that showed benefit from using maggot therapy to treat slow-healing ulcers that didn't heal through conventional means.

Debridement Results

• In the study, those who underwent maggot therapy achieved total debridement (dead tissue totally dissolved) after four weeks. Those not receiving the therapy still had dead tissue over 33 percent of the wound after five weeks, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Other Benefits

• In addition to completely removing dead tissue, the maggot therapy also facilitated better healing. After one month, those treated with maggots had healthy tissue covering 56 percent of the wound compared to 15 percent undergoing conventional care. In the instance where patients switched from conventional treatment to maggot therapy, dead tissue decreased by 20 percent after only one week of treatment.