Maggot Treatment Saves Mich. Woman's Foot

[mtm1963]

:eek:

That's right, maggots!!

Jul 24, 12:46 AM (ET)

BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) - Barbara Enser wasn't very comfortable at first with the idea of using maggots to clean the wound on her right foot. But if it meant saving it from amputation, she was willing to give it a try.

The 57-year-old Bay City woman was diagnosed with diabetes 40 years ago and subsequently lost her left leg to the disease. She also suffers from neuropathy, meaning she has no feeling in her foot or leg, and ulcers or wounds can develop from constantly putting pressure on the foot.

"I'm just hoping this works because I think this is the last straw for saving the foot," Enser told The Bay City Times before a recent treatment. "I don't like creepy, crawly things. I won't even kill a creepy, crawly thing."

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20050724/D8BHHQ7O0.html



mtm1963

[Riddley]

I have heard of this type of treatment before and how sucessful it can be. It sounds gross but the ability that the article talks about of being able to distinguish dead cells from live ones is the key. There are still "medical Leeches" around as well that can drain internal bleeding more effectively than surgeons.
Nature has done all this stuff a long time ago.

[Mirror Lake 444]

I have heard of this type of treatment before and how sucessful it can be. It sounds gross but the ability that the article talks about of being able to distinguish dead cells from live ones is the key. There are still "medical Leeches" around as well that can drain internal bleeding more effectively than surgeons.
Nature has done all this stuff a long time ago.

Ironcially those "maggots" are actually sterile. Did you know that typical urine is actually sterile before it makes contact with bacteria outside the body?

[Dangerrmouse]

They are specially bred for the job, in a sterile environment. Maggot (or "Larval") Therapy has been around since the 1930's in the UK, but never caught on due to difficulty containing them, and patients' revulsion. With antibiotic resistance increasing, larval therapy has seen increased use in the last 10 years or so. They only eat dead tissue, clearing it away to allow natural healing to take place.

http://www.larve.com/maggot_manual/docs/current_status.html