Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Nurses & Wound Specialists

Can maggot therapy be painful? 

The sterile larvae do not have teeth and therefore cannot bite, they ingest with a sucking action. Most of MediFly patients do not experience any pain and undergo this therapy with little fuss.

Only wound types which contain exposed nerve endings or are purely ischaemic in etiology, these patients may experience some pain during therapy.  This occurs when the larvae move freely across the wound bed disturbing these already sensitive areas.  Analgesics may be prescribed during treatment, and in the event that it is inadequate to relieve the discomfort, the larvae can be removed early. This pain should cease immediately on removal of all maggots.  For these wound types we would always advise to use ‘Baggots’ as an alternative.  Since the maggots remain within the bag itself they therefore will not move through the wound bed and the pain level is significantly reduced. For more information on ‘Baggots’ please click here

How many MediFly maggots are placed in the wound? 

On average, 5-8 MediFly maggots per cm2 of necrotic zone is sufficient to achieve a positive clinical outcome. For more accurate calculations contact us for training or refer to the wound chart. Please refer to the MediFly Wound Chart.

Do we need to count all the MediFly maggots being removed from a wound?

No. MediFly maggots are not counted going into the wound and hence do not need to be counted when being removed from the wound. Clinicians must be aware of the removal methods for MediFly maggots and introduce a suitable follow-up dressing post MediFly MDT.

Will MediFly maggots get left behind and bury themselves in the wound?

Such a situation is highly unlikely but even if one was somehow left unnoticed, medical-grade larvae do not bury in or feed on healthy tissue. Larvae breathe oxygen and therefore they must remain where there is air. They will leave the wound as soon as they are fully satiated or when there is no more devitalized tissue to ingest.

How much does MediFly maggots cost?

  • 1 vial of MediFly Free Range Maggots is SGD$120

  • 1 ‘Baggot’ of MediFly Maggots is SGD$150

Special packages are available for each patient. Please contact us for more information.