Larval therapy applied to a large arterial ulcer: an effective outcome

This article is a review of larval therapy and includes a case study that uses larval therapy in the treatment of complex leg ulcer wounds. Complex wounds require careful management from the multidisciplinary team and present clinicians with intricate challenges to save the limb. Wound-bed preparation and debridement needs to be as effective and non-traumatic as possible for the patient. Larval therapy removes the devitalised tissue effectively with minimal tissue trauma. This case study reports on a patient with a non-progressing, full-thickness wound with exposed tendon following reconstructive surgery at a local vascular unit. The patient was left with very limited treatment options, as traditional dressings for the arterial ulcer nearly resulted in amputation due to the deterioration in the wound. As part of the patient's management, she was treated with larval therapy in an attempt to salvage her limb. This article follows the progress of complex leg ulcer wounds employing BioFoam® dressing (BioMonde, Bridgend) for larvae debridement therapy over a 4-week period and incorporating five applications of three BioFoam dressing bags. This care pathway ensured the patient's safety by promoting effective wound healing with the larval therapy leading to excellent clinical patient outcomes.