Surgeons emphasize bariatric surgery benefits amid rising GLP-1 drug popularity

Editor's Note

Bariatric surgery programs nationwide have reported a 20-25% decline in surgical volumes over the past year amid the rising use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications for obesity, OR Management News reported Dec 2.

Although the connection between the decline and the popularity of the drugs cannot be definitively proven, many surgeons believe the medications have led patients to delay or reconsider surgery, the outlet reports, despite the fact that surgery offers more profound and lasting results. 

Bariatric surgeons emphasize the importance of educating patients about the distinction. Meanwhile, patients who choose medication often return to pursue surgery after experiencing limited weight loss. Experts predict this pattern will contribute to rising bariatric surgery volumes in the next one to three years as awareness grows around obesity as a chronic disease and the combined role of medications and surgery in treatment.

GLP-1 agents can also complement surgery as part of a comprehensive approach to bariatric care, OR Management News reports, citing a retrospective stud that found patients with a body mass index over 70 achieved greater preoperative weight loss with multimodal medical therapy—including GLP-1 combinations—compared to single-agent or non-medicated approaches. This strategy could improve outcomes for patients often deemed “too sick” or “too large” for surgery, but for whom surgery is the only real option.

Finally, the article highlights how GLP-1 therapies are contributing to a broader shift in how obesity is understood—that is, not as a behavioral issue, but as a chronic, brain-driven disease with genetic roots. This evolving perception is key to destigmatizing obesity and recognizing surgery’s value beyond weight loss. For example, bariatric surgery can resolve comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers, providing benefits that are harder to quantify than weight loss alone.