ABSTRACT
Postoperative wound infection is a rare, but major, complication of replantation. Failure to control infection can lead directly to vascular thrombosis and, in turn, to loss of the replanted extremity. The use of maggots for wound debridement has a long history and has been lately re-introduced for treatment of intractable wounds. In this report, the authors present the experience of successful debridement of a severely infected wound after forearm replantation, using maggot therapy. The results and mechanism of maggot therapy are discussed.
KEYWORDS
Replantation - infection - extremity - maggot
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Feng ZhangM.D. Ph.D.
Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505
