Larval Therapy Prevents Diabetic Foot Amputation and Receives National Recognition in Paraguay

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Clínicas Hospital applies larval therapy to treat severe diabetic foot and prevents amputation. Congress recognized the breakthrough for its scientific and social value.

Hospital de Clínicas successfully prevented a diabetic foot amputation by applying larval therapy, an innovative technique that uses larvae from the Lucilia sericata fly, known locally as “mberú hovy”. The procedure was implemented on a 68-year-old female patient with multiple comorbidities, including advanced diabetes, heart disease, and kidney failure.

The patient presented with a gangrenous and infected ulcer and had already received surgical recommendations at other medical centers. The medical team decided to apply larval therapy as a last resort, which successfully saved the limb. This technique involves introducing larvae that feed exclusively on dead tissue, effectively cleaning the wound and accelerating the healing process.

The treatment was performed by the Diabetic Foot Unit and the First Chair of Surgical Clinic at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the National University of Asunción. According to Dr. Jorge Flores, the training acquired in Japan and Germany was key to adapting the protocol to the local context.