Effectiveness of Maggot Therapy on Wound Healing Process : A Systematic Review

Abstract

Chronic injuries are a global health problem with an increasing prevalence and have a significant impact on patients' quality of life and the burden on the health system. One of the innovations in wound management is maggot therapy (maggot lucilia sericata), which has been used to speed up the wound healing process through biological debridement mechanisms and antimicrobial effects. This article aims to find out the effectiveness of maggot therapy on the healing process of chronic wounds. The method used in this study was a literature review of 6 (six) related articles taken from Google Scholar, BMC Medicine, and PubMed. Articles are selected based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Based on the search results, 6 articles with a publication range of 2020–2025 were determined. Inclusion criteria include Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) and True Experimental studies  in patients with chronic wounds, discuss maggot therapy, and are available in full text in English. The results of the analysis of six articles showed that maggot therapy significantly accelerated the healing process of chronic wounds, especially in the case of diabetic ulcers and severe infectious wounds. The average time for wound healing with maggot therapy is achieved in 1–2 months (30–60 days), faster than conventional methods. The conclusion of the study results shows that maggot therapy is an effective, safe, and economical intervention in accelerating the healing process of chronic wounds. The use of this therapy is recommended as an alternative or complement to conventional wound care methods, especially in wounds that are difficult to heal with standard therapy.