Biosurgery supports granulation and debridement in chronic wounds - clinical data and remittance spectroscopy measurement

Background Maggot therapy (biosurgery) has received increasing interest for the debridement of chronic wounds and for the improvement of wound healing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effects, side‐effects, and possible mechanisms of action of biosurgery. Methods Biosurgery was used for debridement in 30 patients with chronic leg ulcers of mixed origin. The effect of a single application of maggots for 1–4 days was evaluated by a clinical wound score and contact‐free spectroscopy. Side‐effects were recorded. Results Debridement was rapid and selective. The wound secretion was temporarily increased. We observed a significant improvement of the wound score with a decrease from 13.5 ± 1.8 to 6.3 ± 2.7 (P