The Efficacy of Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4) Wet Dressing in Reducing Eyelid Swelling and Bruising after Blepharoplasty: A Randomized, Controlled, and Observer-Blinded Assessment Study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of wet dressing with 50% magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) solution on decreasing eyelid swelling and bruising after blepharoplasty. Fifty-eight patients (23 male and 35 female) who underwent bilateral blepharoplasty were enrolled in our randomized clinical trial. One side of the periorbital area (upper and lower eyelids) per patient received a wet dressing with 50% MgSO4 solution randomly, and the other side was cooled with an ice pack from the first postoperative day for two consecutive days (30 minutes per time and twice a day). The eyelid edema and ecchymosis were evaluated and classified using respective graded scales. Degrees of eyelid edema were similar after surgery in both groups ( p > 0.05) and were significantly decreased with time. Compared with the cooled ones, less swelling was observed in the eyelids treated by MgSO4 wet compress on postoperative day 5 ( p < 0.01). Both the incidence and area of ecchymosis were lower in the MgSO4 group than those in the cooling group ( p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Moreover, the majority of patients (39/58, 67.2%) indicated a preference for MgSO4 wet dressing over ice cooling. MgSO4 wet dressing can be conveniently applied to alleviate eyelid swelling and reduce recovery time after blepharoplasty.