Homeopathic treatment confers no benefit after upper blepharoplasty

The authors report the results of a prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind study designed to assess the efficacy of homeopathic Arnica montana for ecchymosis after upper blepharoplasty. They found no evidence that homeopathic A. montana, as used in this study, provided any benefit in the reduction or resolution of ecchymosis after the procedure.

Thirty male patients (57 eyelids) scheduled to undergo bilateral upper eyelid blepharoplasty were included in the study. Surgery was performed separately for the right and left eyelids, with at least one month between procedures to avoid a crossover effect. (Three patients did not follow up for the second eyelid.) Patients were randomly assigned to the administration of a four-day course of oral homeopathic A. montana or placebo capsules after each procedure, followed by contralateral treatment at least one month later.

The authors found no statistically significant difference in the area of ecchymosis or rank order of ecchymosis severity after surgery compared with placebo. Additionally, there was no difference in ease of recovery as measured by patient report and no difference in the rate of ecchymosis resolution.