MAGGOTS

[msminor]

Has anyone heard of maggots being used in hospitals?

[clairus99]

i have heard that they will eat away dead flesh....i am talking about years and years ago.....i don't know about these days...

[rekstout]

I heard of them being used on rare occasions, for example when there is a requirement to remove dead tissue around sensitive areas - the maggots are far more delicate than the surgeon's knife.

I know the same goes for leeches - useful after microsurgery to reduce intra-muscular bleeding and clotting.

[vittoria]

A few years ago (3 or 4 I guess) I read about an experiment that was taking place in a hospital (in the UK) involving using maggots where there was gangrene. The results were said to be encouraging. That is all I remember I am afraid.

[pereramn]

it was trialled at a hospital in south wales a few years ago. the results were very good, and patients were surprisingly tolerant of the procedure. As someone just said earlier, they only eat the dead tissue, which allows for more rapid healing, and as they are clean there is little risk of infection. However, I haven't actually seen them in use anywhere

[SMILL48]

There is an article on Answerbank which answers your question - just click article 3307