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MAGGOT
DEBRIDEMENT THERAPY
Maggot Debridement
Therapy Success Stories:
Ulcer
on big toe of patient with diabetes mellitus
This 40-year-old patient
presented on March 1, 2007, with a chief complaint of
uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, an ulcer at the bottom of
his right big toe, and an associated infection of his right
leg (cellulitis). Other physicians had recommended
amputation of the toe.
March 3, 2007: This is what the ulcer looked like before
maggot debridement therapy. I placed maggots into the wound
after I had taken this picture. I also started the patient
on antibiotic treatment for cellulitis, oral hypoglycemic
treatment for the diabetes, and natural thyroid hormone
therapy when I found that he had untreated
hypothyroidism.
March 6, 2007: I removed the maggots from the wound (two are
visible in this picture) and replaced them with fresh
maggots. The maggots that I placed on March 3 had quadrupled
in size. The wound looked considerably cleaner.
March 19, 2007: I placed fresh maggots into the wound on
March 9, March 12, March 16, and March 19. After five maggot
debridement treatments the wound had remarkably decreased in
size. One week later the patient called to cancel his
appointment because the wound looked so good that he did not
think that additional maggot debridement treatments were
necessary.
June 10, 2007: When the patient returned for a follow up the
wound had healed completely as shown below. He was off the
diabetic medication and had lost 18 pounds since March 1,
2007.
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Ulcer
on heel of patient with diabetes mellitus
The following pictures are
courtesy of Pam Mitchell. They show a foot with a diabetic
ulcer. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) not only saved the
patient's foot, but also her life. The maggots worked on the
bone and helped the patient heal from
osteomyelitis.
The first picture is just before MDT.
The second picture was taken as the maggots were ready come
out.
The third picture was taken after the maggots had been
removed. You can see the exposed bone at 11:00.
The fourth picture was taken two months later.
The fifth picture was taken after another month.
The sixth picture was taken after the wound had healed
completely.
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