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Spooky season brings out all kinds of creepy crawlies...but this is next level. Maggots recently saved one Tucson woman from needing surgery, reported KOLD News 13.
Dr. Erika Huston, a podiatrist at Tucson Medical Center, said, "She had wounds on both sides of both ankles, very severe wounds, and she had several medical conditions that make her immunocompromised."
Dr. Huston, along with nurse practitioner Ashlee Garcia, treated the woman's infections with live maggots. Dr. Huston said, "My original plan was to take her to surgery to clean out and remove the maggots and all the dead tissue. (I) took the dressing off the next day, and the maggots had cleaned the wound significantly…so I said, ‘let’s see if we can do that while she’s here.'"
Garcia said, "With the maggots, they're very selective. So, they only eat the dead tissue and the wound essentially stays about the same size."
The patient was open to the concept and was on an antibiotic IV to help with infections. The patient has since been discharged since the procedure and is recovering at home.
Dr. Huston urges people at home to NOT try this on themselves. "Free range" maggots are not sterile and can cause further infections.