Diabetic foot ulcer: Successful healing with combination therapy, including surgical debridement, maggot therapy, and negative pressure wound therapy

• Published in: International journal of surgery case reports 2023-09, Vol.110, p.108695, Article 108695
• Main Authors: Babamiri, Behnam, Nikkhah, Fatemeh, Faraji, Navid, Goli, Rasoul, Moghaddam, Neda Vahidi, Rahimi, Kamal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case Report; Combination therapy; Diabetic foot ulcer; Maggot therapy; Negative pressure wound therapy; Surgical debridement
• ISSN: 2210-2612; 2210-2612
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.108695

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common and serious complication of diabetes. A variety of treatments available to help heal diabetic foot ulcers, including sharp debridement, maggot therapy, and negative pressure wound therapy. This case report presents the case study of a male patient with an 8-year history of diabetes who developed a diabetic foot ulcer. The patient was undergoing treatment with metformin and insulin. Despite the severity of the ulcer, a combination therapy approach, including surgical debridement, maggot therapy, and negative pressure wound therapy, was implemented, leading to successful healing. DFUs are caused by various pathological mechanisms, the single therapy would lead to a very low level of recovery. Therefore, DFU management requires multimodal care and interdisciplinary treatment. This case study highlights the effectiveness of a multimodal treatment strategy for diabetic foot ulcers, emphasizing the importance of individualized care and combining evidence-based practices. •DFUs can lead to amputation.•DFUs do not respond to routine drug therapies.•DFUs can be managed by combination therapy.