Got maggots? These doctors are bringing the bugs into their practice on purpose
Maggot therapy is being used by some medical professionals to clean non-healing wounds by removing dead tissue with precision unmatched by surgical methods. The maggots, which are sterile and lab-raised, dissolve dead and infected tissue without harming healthy tissue, offering a painless alternative for patients who cannot undergo surgery. Though not widely used, the treatment has proven beneficial for certain high-risk patients, including those awaiting organ transplants or with conditions like diabetes and heart failure.
- ▪Medicinal maggots are FDA-cleared medical devices that are lab-raised and germ-free.
- ▪Maggots clean wounds by secreting enzymes that dissolve dead tissue without damaging healthy tissue, making the process painless.
- ▪Maggot therapy is often used for patients who are poor surgical candidates and cannot undergo traditional wound debridement.
- ▪Some hospitals use maggot therapy sparingly, such as Tufts Medical Center, which applies it once or twice a year.
- ▪Maggots avoid wounds infected with Pseudomonas bacteria, so clinicians must test for this before applying the treatment.
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Health newsGot maggots? These doctors are bringing the bugs into their practice on purposeMaggots can remove dead flesh from a wound with a degree of precision surgeons can’t achieve. That can make them an asset for certain patients.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00The thinking behind maggot therapy is straightforward: Dying tissue must be removed from wounds in order to prevent infection. To maggots, this dead tissue is food.Leila Register / NBC News; Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 17, 2026, 8:00 AM EDTBy Mustafa FattahThe lowly maggot gets a bad rap, mostly known for feeding on corpses and rotting meat.
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