Recent study showed that that maggots -- the larvae of blow flies and hydrogel works at almost equal pace while treating leg ulcers. Another study showed that maggots were no more cost-effective than the pharmaceutical treatment.

These findings were based on the data collected from 267 patients with at least one venous or mixed venous-arterial leg ulcer. The study subjects were divided into three groups. Loose maggots under a dressing were used to treat the first group. The eyelash-sized larvae applied in a tea bag-like sac were used to treat the second group. The third group was treated with hydrogel.

Data analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in the time for the ulcer to heal in all the groups however maggot therapy was significantly faster at debriding
(removing dead tissue) from wounds as compared to hydrogel. Wounds of half of the patients in the larvae group were healed at 236 days, compared to 245 days in hydrogel group.

Co-author Nicky Cullum, deputy head of the department of health sciences at the university, said maggots are more effective at removing dead tissue from wounds than hydrogel, but there's no evidence from the trial that the insects shorten healing time or reduce bacterial load in the wound.