The Impact of Preoperative Statin Therapy on Postoperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery

Background: Major abdominal surgeries are associated with a high risk of postoperative complications, impacting patient recovery and healthcare costs. Statins, known for their lipid-lowering properties, also possess anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects that may improve surgical outcomes. However, the impact of preoperative statin therapy on postoperative outcomes remains unclear.Objective: This review aimed to evaluate the effects of preoperative statin therapy on postoperative complications, including infection rates, cardiovascular events, thromboembolic incidents, hospital stay duration, and mortality in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted for studies published from 2010 to 2023. The review included randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies involving adult patients receiving preoperative statin therapy. Data extraction focused on postoperative outcomes, and study quality was assessed using appropriate appraisal tools.Results: A total of 45 studies with 36,750 patients were included. Preoperative statin therapy significantly reduced postoperative infections (RR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.68-0.83), cardiovascular events (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66-0.92), thromboembolic incidents (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.70-0.97), and hospital stay by 1.7 days (95% CI: -2.3 to -1.2). No significant effect on mortality was observed (RR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.79-1.03).Conclusion: Preoperative statin therapy may reduce complications and hospital stay in major abdominal surgery, supporting its inclusion in preoperative care, particularly for high-risk patients.