I love the idea of using maggots and leeches to clean out wounds and heal people.
‘The primary mode of action for maggots is chewing,’ said Mark Melkerson, acting director of the Division of General, Restorative and Neurological Devices. ‘For leeches, it’s the eating of blood. Those are mechanical processes. Thus, the agency decided that maggots and leeches were devices,’ Mr. Melkerson said.
I’ve head of this before. I think I’ve even seen it in movies or something. And I have to say that these techniques make a more sense to me than many others I have heard about. Like the one where doctors move a woman’s ovaries into her arms during chemotherapy so as to not damage them. Maggots makes sense, as do leeches. But I gotta tell ya, I’d have to be pretty unconscious or near death or totally unaware in some other way to agree to having maggots smeared in an open wound.
Given that I’m not laid up in a hospital writhing in pain, it’s easy for me to say.
Regardless of how I feel about being smeared with live maggots, I am happy to hear the FDA is starting to pay the procedure more mind. Not only does it seem relatively safe but it seems relatively cheap as well. After all, how much could a couple thousand maggots cost?
I think its great too… but the procedure for maggots scares the #$#% out of me.
They don’t just smear them into the wound – they sew them up in the wound. I’ve seen videos on PBS. Not fun.
I’m sorry, A VIDEO!!! Oh dear God.
Yeah.
If you go on google and search for “maggots wound” in images, you’ll get the idea.
It’s really awesome that they’re using the maggots and leeches – they’re not just low price, but do a much better job than a lot of other things and the success rates are high.
It’s just REALLY hard to look at.
I think I might avoid that search. I am still trying to get over an image my boss sent me featuring full blow genital warts and a penis.
Eeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaauuugh.
I have to go drink bleach now, ackscuse me.
I remember you telling me about that picture.
I remember Toby being pissed about it.
btw, I still owe you $$
maggots are great because living / healthy flesh repulses them… and aparently they excrete some sort of liquid that protects the healthy tissue as well as numbs they wound! their use in medicine goes way back. as for leeches, that’s just plain grotesque!
The leeches secrete a blood thinner / anticoagulant and help with circulation post-surgery. They’re placed, on a wound for a certain amount of time, then removed.
The maggots are placed into an open wound, with is then sewn shut with gauze for several days.
And the leeches gross you out?
The leeches secrete a blood thinner / anticoagulant and help with circulation post-surgery. They’re placed, on a wound for a certain amount of time, then removed.
The maggots are placed into an open wound, with is then sewn shut with gauze for several days.
And the leeches gross you out?
Well. Yes, but. I mean…what if we found out that unwashed ass was good for clearing up the skin? I’m just saying. The “M” word…I’m just not there yet.
scrubs frontal lobe
I’m not sure about unwashed a$$, but I’ve heard that urine is good for clearing up acne.
Jonathan- actually, I’ve heard that too. First morning’s pee. Which for some reason DOESN’T freak me out??