Originally Posted by wikipedia

Maggot therapy (also known as maggot debridement therapy (MDT), larval therapy, larva therapy, larvae therapy, biodebridement or biosurgery) is a type of biotherapy involving the intentional introduction by a health care practitioner of live, disinfected maggots (fly larvae) raised in special facilities into the non-healing skin and soft tissue wound(s) of a human or other animal for the purpose of selectively cleaning out only the necrotic tissue within a wound (debridement) in order to promote wound healing.

In maggot therapy, disinfected fly larvae are applied to the wound for 2 days within special dressings to keep them from migrating. Maggots used in maggot therapy are highly selective about what they consume i.e. they focus exclusively on dead tissue and will not eat living flesh. The medical literature identifies three primary actions of medicinal maggots on wounds: they clean the wounds by dissolving dead and infected tissue ("debridement"); they disinfect the wound (kill bacteria); and they speed the rate of healing. Maggots never reproduce in the wound. Larvae of all species are immature, and can not reproduce.

In January, 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began regulating medicinal maggots, and allowed the production and marketing of one particular strain of Phaenicia sericata larvae marketed under the brand name Medical Maggots. In February, 2004, the British National Health Service (NHS) permitted its doctors to prescribe maggot therapy. Medical Maggots represent the first living organism ever allowed by the FDA for production and marketing as a prescription medical device. Reimbursement for maggot therapy is available in the U.S. and other countries.

In 1995, only a handful of doctors in 4 countries were using maggot therapy. Since that time, worldwide use of maggot therapy has increased significantly. Today, any physician in the U.S. and many other countries can prescribe maggot therapy. Over 4,000 therapists are using maggot therapy in 20 countries. Approximately 50,000 treatments were applied to wounds in the year 2006. There are over 800 health care centers in the U.S. that have utilized maggot therapy.

Originally Posted by wikipedia

The application of maggot dressings is simple: maggots are contained in a cage-like dressing over the wound for 2 days. The maggots may be allowed to move freely within that cage, with the wound floor acting as the bottom of the cage; or the maggots may be contained within a sealed pouch, placed on top of the wound. The dressing must be kept air permeable because maggots require oxygen to live. When maggots are satiated, they become substantially larger and seek to leave the site of a wound. Complete removal of maggots from a wound is easily accomplished. Multiple two day courses of maggot therapy may be administered depending on the severity of the non-healing wound.

Maggots never reproduce in the wound. Larvae of all species are immature, and can not reproduce.

Originally Posted by The Faba

Originally Posted by Willravel

You've meditated before, right? I'm sure that tool would come in handy in occupying your mind elsewhere.

I used to be claustrophobic. When I was maybe 13ish, I had to get a CAT scan, but the tech was inexperienced and we had to repeat the procedure several times. I had to lie still in a tube with maybe a 2" diameter for hours on end. It took me maybe a half hour to calm myself down, but after that I went into a state of bliss and calm. The hours went by quickly. After that, I got to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Tarantino's (it's not relevant to the subject at hand, but I can never miss an opportunity to talk about good seafood). I'm sure that if you were ever put in this situation, you could put your mind in a calm place so that the healing process could be assisted.

Originally Posted by roachboy

it's better if you can ride without having to wonder if the guy in the car behind you is a sociopath, i find.

Originally Posted by spinelust

I'm all for maggot therapy. I was going to also mention using leeches to help with blood clotting. I know Steve-O attached a leech to his eyeball in Jackass 2 as a stunt, and I could barely stomach watching that scene, but I think I'd be fascinated to watch maggots go to work.

It doesn't seem all that different from fish pedicures, where you sit with your feet in water filled with tiny fish and they eat the dead skin off your feet. I'd try that too, but I would have to concentrate really hard to keep it from tickling.

Originally Posted by BadNick

I've seen photos and videos of this maggot therapy in the past. Not long ago it was shown in one of those survivalist shows my kids watch. So I'd go for it. I bet feeling them crawling around could be ticklish. If I believed that any procedure would be beneficial, I'd have no hesitation and in fact, I'd like to watch it, too.

When I've had procedures done (rarely) I usually ask if I can see as much of it as possible...years ago I asked to see so they tilted the overhead light reflector in the O.R. so I could see a reflection of they removing a varicose vein on one of my testicles...then I had two more kids (not the same day) so it worked; when I was 11yo I watched them operate a large spike out of my hand.

I like the maggot concept and hope we can find more "natural" solutions to medical problems vs. man-made & (sometimes ill) conceived chemicals. There are probably many other valid and functional ancient remedies that developed over eons of trial and error that we should rediscover.

Originally Posted by mixedmedia

I watched my Cesarean sections with a mirror. They are some of my most vivid and fantastic memories...

/end threadjack