When a patient prepares for gastrointestinal surgery, every factor in their medical history matters. A large review of data from over 776,000 patients suggests that those who have been taking corticosteroids—medicines often used to manage inflammation—long-term before surgery may face higher risks. Specifically, these patients showed higher odds of developing sepsis, a dangerous and severe infection, and a higher risk of death within 30 days of their procedure.
The study also looked at other complications like being readmitted to the hospital, needing a second operation, or developing infections at the surgical site. While the evidence for these specific complications was less consistent, the link between prior steroid use and serious issues like sepsis was more consistent across different types of data checks.
It is important to note that the evidence for these findings is currently considered low to very low in certainty. Because the study used varied definitions for how patients were exposed to steroids, we cannot say for certain that steroids alone cause these issues. However, the findings suggest that doctors should carefully monitor patients who use these medications before and after surgery to manage potential risks.
