Doctors used maggots, honey and human placenta to cure a 46-year-old diabetic man’s infected foot after regular antibiotics failed to work.
Foot ulcers are DiabetesPoor circulation, nerve damage, and high blood pressure make people with diabetes more susceptible to ulcers.
When the patient comes to the hospital IranThe seven-centimeter-long pressure wound on his heel had been present for approximately six months.
The patient had already tried to cure the infection with conventional treatments such as wound cleansing and antibiotic therapy, but to no avail.
Instead, doctors used unusual methods to treat the infected wounds. Some of these methods include: National Health Service.
Doctors use maggots, honey and human placenta to heal 46-year-old diabetic man’s infected foot
After maggot therapy, the wound was treated with medhoney, a special type of honey that has proven antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Case study Wound cultures from a patient with a 15-year history of type 2 diabetes revealed a bacterial infection that was resistant to multiple drugs, according to a paper published in the International Journal of Surgical Case Reports.
Doctors removed dead tissue from the man’s heel to create a clean area for the skin to heal.
The patient then underwent four rounds of maggot therapy, which may sound extreme but is a treatment sometimes used by NHS doctors to fight infections.
Also known as maggot debridement therapy, in this treatment, specialists use water fly larvae which feed on dead tissue and release chemicals that break down bacteria and stimulate the healing process.
When the patient visited a hospital in Iran, the pressure wound (7 cm long) on the heel had been present for about 6 months, but it healed after 3 months of treatment.
These maggots are specially bred in a lab using eggs that have been treated to remove bacteria.
The maggots are placed on the wound, covered with gauze and then covered with a tight bandage so they do not fall out of the wound and remain invisible. After a few days, the bandage is cut off and the maggots are removed.
After maggot therapy, the wound was treated with “med honey,” a special type of honey that has proven antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Dressings were changed every 48 hours to maintain a moist wound environment and support the healing process.
Simultaneously with the application of medhoney, a Human Amniotic Membrane (HAM) treatment using the inner part of the placenta was administered to the wound. The patient underwent eight sessions over the course of one month.
First, the membrane was meticulously cleaned and disinfected to ensure its safety, preserving the bioactive components that are essential for supporting the body’s immune and inflammatory responses, such as growth factors and cytokines.
“The application process is akin to the careful unfolding of a precious tapestry, with the membrane acting as a scaffold for cellular activity,” the researchers write.
Growth factors within the membrane helped damaged tissue heal, while cytokines provided a biological response within the wound’s “microenvironment,” the study explains.
The barrier function of the membrane not only protects the wound from external threats such as microbial invasion, but also retains moisture and aids in tissue regeneration.
Over the course of three months, doctors saw “significant improvement,” with a significant reduction in wound size, reduced inflammation and infection, and ultimately wound closure.
