Concerns over delayed stomach emptying and possible aspiration risk had some doctors thinking that people taking GLP-1 meds should discontinue the meds before a surgery However, stopping the drugs brings its own issues, so a consortium of medical groups is now recommending that most patients continue using the drugs right up until surgery Certain exceptions to this rule do exist, so it's important that patients and doctors discuss use of GLP-1s prior to a procedure THURSDAY, Oct. 31, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A new guidance issued jointly by groups representing U.S.
surgeons, anesthesiologists and gastroenterologists affirms that most people taking popular GLP-1 weight-loss meds can keep taking them in the weeks before a surgery. Concerns had arisen because the drugs, which include semaglutide ( and ) and tirzepatide ( and ), liraglutide ( ) and dulaglutide ( ), can all delay stomach emptying. It was thought that this slowdown might raise the odds for regurgitation and aspiration of food into the airways and lungs during general anesthesia and deep sedation during a surgery.
That could raise the odds for a condition called aspiration pneumonia. However, the medical groups involved in the new statement say that that risk must be weighed against the risks of discontinuing a GLP-1 medicine, including a rebound in blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. Weighing the pros and cons, the experts decided that continued use of a GLP-1 med right up until a scheduled surgery is warr.