Loose skin after major weight loss — surgical vs non-surgical options

Dr.DermMIA said:

This is the one where the stakes are high and the answer is simple: tell the anaesthetist.

Timing surgery and anaesthesia around surgery: my surgeon required me to stop GLP-1 agonists 2 weeks before my scheduled procedure due to aspiration risk from delayed gastric emptying.

If you have any upcoming surgeries or procedures requiring anesthesia, TELL YOUR SURGEON AND ANESTHESIOLOGIST that you're on a GLP-1. This is critical for safety.

Dr.DermMIA said:

This is the one where the stakes are high and the answer is simple: tell the anaesthetist.

This is where I part company with the consensus forming above. Guidance here is not settled and varies by institution, so quoting one society's interval as the rule is misleading. The invariant part is disclosure, not the number of days.

Dr.SportsMedIN said:

Guidance here is not settled and varies by institution, so quoting one society's interval as the rule is misleading.

Important PSA about surgery and anaesthesia and anesthesia: GLP-1 agonists delay gastric emptying, which increases aspiration risk during procedures requiring sedation or general anesthesia.

Current ASA guidelines recommend stopping GLP-1 agonists 1 week before scheduled procedures. ALWAYS tell your surgical team you're on this medication. Don't let this get overlooked.

KevinCompounds said:

Timing surgery and anaesthesia around surgery: my surgeon required me to stop GLP-1 agonists 2 weeks before my scheduled procedure due to aspiration…

This is my experience too, for whatever a second data point is worth. I had assumed I was the exception until I read this.