Research
Hormonal
Postoperative use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (specifically liraglutide and semaglutide) effectively treats suboptimal clinical response (SoCR) and recurrent weight gain (RWG) after metabolic bariatric surgery, achieving weight loss comparable to or exceeding non-surgical populations.
If you regain weight after bariatric surgery, do not assume you must have another operation. GLP-1 medications (like semaglutide or liraglutide) are highly effective at reversing weight regain and improving metabolic health, often working better than in non-surgical patients.
LimitedSupportsHIGH confidence
Both studies indicate that semaglutide at 1.0 mg is more effective for weight loss than liraglutide at 3.0 mg.
Why this rating
Based on RCTs (LoE Ib) and retrospective studies.
Source
Role of obesity-management medications before and after metabolic bariatric surgery: a systematic review
Ricardo V. Cohen et al. · British journal of surgery · 2024
DOI 10.1093/bjs/znae284
systematic_reviewCited 30×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Preoperative administration of GLP-1 receptor agonists (OMMs) serves as an effective bridging therapy for super-obese patients, facilitating technical operability and reducing perioperative complications compared to non-pharmacological methods.Moderate
- GLP-1 receptor agonists should be discontinued prior to metabolic bariatric surgery to prevent delayed gastric emptying and aspiration pneumonia during anesthesia.Moderate
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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