Medications
Statins Before Surgery
Good news: statins are one of the medicines you keep taking right through your operation. They quietly protect your heart during a stressful time for your body.
Quick answer
Why it matters
Statins lower cholesterol, but around the time of surgery they do something extra valuable: they help steady the lining of your blood vessels and calm inflammation. This is exactly the kind of protection your heart benefits from during the physical stress of an operation and the recovery that follows.
Because of this, the evidence points the same way for people already on a statin: staying on it through surgery is linked to a lower risk of heart-related problems. Stopping suddenly may even remove that protection at the worst possible moment, which is why abrupt withdrawal is discouraged.
Statins are also gentle in the surgical setting. They do not thin your blood or raise your bleeding risk the way some other medicines do, so there is no safety reason to pause them. Continuing is the safe, settled choice.
Do not stop without instruction
What to ask your doctor
- Should I take my statin on the morning of surgery with a sip of water?
- When can I restart my statin after the operation if I have to skip any doses?
- Does my statin interact with any new medicines I'll be given around surgery?
- I take other heart or cholesterol medicines too — do any of those need to stop?
Red flags — call your team
Red flags — call your team
- Unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness, especially with dark or cola-coloured urine — tell your team promptly.
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, or severe ongoing tummy pain, which can signal a liver problem.
- A new rash, swelling or trouble breathing after a dose, which could be an allergic reaction.
References
- General anaesthetic and cardiac guidance (such as ACC/AHA and ESC perioperative recommendations) advises continuing statins through the surgical period in patients already taking them, including on the day of surgery.
- These are general guidelines for education only — your own surgical and anaesthetic team's instructions always take precedence over anything on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take my statin the morning of surgery?
Yes. Take it as usual with a small sip of water, even if you are fasting for the operation. Statins are continued right through surgery because they help protect your heart during this stressful time. A sip of water with the tablet is fine and will not interfere with your anaesthetic. The standard advice is not to skip this dose unless your own team specifically tells you to.
Why don't statins need to be stopped like some other medicines?
Statins do not thin your blood or raise bleeding risk, so they are safe to continue. Many medicines that get paused before surgery, like certain blood thinners or some diabetes tablets, are paused for those specific reasons. Statins are different: they actively help steady your blood vessels and calm inflammation around surgery, so keeping them going is the safer choice rather than a risk.
What happens if I forget a dose before surgery?
Don't worry about one missed dose, and do not try to double up. Just let your surgical or anaesthetic team know so they have an accurate picture of your medicines. The aim is steady, ongoing protection, so the best plan is simply to take your statin as normal and restart it promptly afterwards. Your team will tell you when to resume if any doses are interrupted around the operation.
When do I restart my statin after surgery?
In most cases you restart as soon as you are eating, drinking and taking tablets again, which is often the same day or the next day. Getting back on it quickly keeps your heart protection in place during recovery. If you are unable to swallow for a while, tell your team, as there may be other options. Always follow the specific restart instructions your surgical or anaesthetic team gives you.