title: Effect of statin use on outcome of symptomatic cholelithiasis: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Statins can modify bile cholesterol and, thus, the formation of gallstones. We examined whether statin use also modifies the severity of symptomatic gallstone disease and its treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1,140 consecutive patients with symptomatic gallstone disease were recruited during 2008-2010 at Kuopio university hospital, Finland. Case-control analysis matched the patients using (n = 272) or not using (n = 272) statins by age and sex. The baseline characteristics of the patients, need and type of surgical treatment, duration of operation, perioperative bleeding, postoperative complications and overall mortality rate were compared statistically between the study groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Morbidity and subsequent polypharmacy occurred more frequently among the patients with statins compared to the patients without statins. There were no significant differences between the statin users and non-users regarding surgical treatment (open vs. laparoscopic cholecystectomy). The mean operation time for laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 10% shorter for the patients with statin use than for the patients without. In addition, there was a non-significant tendency for statin users to bleed less during laparoscopic operations than the non-users. There were no differences in other procedure-related parameters (e.g., operation urgency, conversions, choledochotomies, complications and mortality) in patients with or without statins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to no treatment, statin treatment was associated with a shorter operation time for laparoscopy cholecystectomy. Other surgical outcome parameters were similar in patients with or without statins, although statin users had more polypharmacy and circulatory illnesses than non-users.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kuopio University Hospital, P,O, Box 100, FI-70029 KYS Kuopio, Finland. j.pu@dnainternet.net.
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pulkkinen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eskelinen
authors.forename: Vesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kiviniemi
authors.forename: Tuukka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kotilainen
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pöyhönen
authors.forename: Lasse
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kilpeläinen
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Käkelä
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kastarinen
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paajanen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors