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A man paralysed after suffering a spinal cord injury is undergoing extreme treatment for body sores caused by a badly-fitting wheelchair – live maggots placed on his wounds.
Doctors hope the radical technique will prevent 39-year-old Alan White from needing surgery on the pressure sores on his ankles that are the result of hours spent in an unsuitable wheelchair.
The Crawley resident, a father of three and a former builder, suffered personal injuries leading to his spinal cord injury in August 2005 and has been paralysed ever since. He has no use of his legs and has only limited movement in his upper body.
It is now hoped that the maggots, bred in a sterile environment, will clean Mr White's wounds and prevent infection by eating the dead and unhealthy tissue.
His wife, Donna, told reporters, "Alan has been using a spare wheelchair but it gave him sores on his heels as it isn't the right size.
"District nurses visited us twice this month at home to place sterilised maggots on the sores.
"It sounds strange but it's a good natural treatment. The maggots are placed in something like a teabag and left on the wound for hours while they eat dead flesh."
The use of maggots to clean wounds is known as larval therapy and has been used as a safe and effective treatment of wounds for hundreds of years. They have been used particularly during wars to clean wounds that would otherwise have putrefied because of the dirty and unsanitary conditions.
Mr White hopes the maggots will help to heal the personal injuries on his ankles and has also requested a new wheelchair from Surrey Primary Care Trust. Aware of his spinal cord injury, they have revealed that they are assessing his needs to decide if a new wheelchair is available.
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