A study published in JAMA Surgery indicates that pre-surgical GLP-1 medication use does not lead to greater weight loss 12 months after bariatric surgery.

A study published August 12 in JAMA Surgery found that using GLP-1 medications like Ozempic or Wegovy before bariatric surgery does not result in significantly higher weight loss 12 months post-procedure. Researchers analyzed data from 383 patients who underwent surgery between 2022 and 2024. The study also found no significant differences in diabetes control, postoperative complications, or hospital stay duration between those who used the medications and those who did not.

Study Findings and Methodology

Researchers tracked 383 participants, 92 of whom (24%) were using GLP-1 medications prior to surgery. At the 12-month mark, those who had used the medications lost an average of 24% of their total body weight, while those who had not used the drugs lost 25%. While the study noted that higher pre-surgery BMI and being male were associated with greater weight loss, it could not quantify how much weight participants lost specifically from the medications before their surgery.

Expert Perspectives on Clinical Use

Medical experts noted that the findings do not rule out the utility of GLP-1 medications in broader obesity management. Dr. Mir Ali and Dr. Paunel Vukasinov suggested that these drugs remain useful for reducing surgical risks, managing weight loss plateaus, or addressing weight regain years after the procedure. Experts emphasized that obesity is a chronic condition and that medications and surgery can function as complementary tools in a long-term treatment plan.