GLP-1 surgery complications are the focus of a large new records study, and the early signal looks encouraging. According to a release from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) dated October 18, 2026, people taking GLP-1 medications had lower rates of major heart-related complications and infections after surgery than people not taking them. The research was presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026 annual meeting, and this article is based on the release.
How the GLP-1 surgery complications study was done
The researchers used the Epic Cosmos database, a de-identified electronic health record database covering more than 1,700 hospitals and 40,000 clinics. They included US adults aged 18 and older who had elective surgeries lasting longer than 60 minutes and stayed in hospital at least 24 hours, between January 2016 and December 2024.
Of 2,028,601 patients, 145,610, about 7%, were taking GLP-1 medications. The release describes these drugs as widely prescribed for diabetes and weight loss. Brand names such as Ozempic belong to this class, but the release does not say which drugs were studied. The team matched GLP-1 users with similar patients who were not taking them.
What the study found about GLP-1 and complications
After matching, GLP-1 use was associated with 11% lower odds of major cardiovascular complications, which the release defines as heart attack, heart injury, stroke or death. It was also associated with 8% lower odds of postoperative infections, including surgical site infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and sepsis.
The authors suggest several possible reasons. GLP-1 drugs may help with weight loss, improve blood pressure and blood sugar control, reduce inflammation and may protect heart muscle under stress. Better glucose control may also help the immune system fight infection, since high blood sugar can weaken it. These are the authors’ ideas, not findings from this study. Related stories on our site include Stanford experts’ warning on gray market peptides and Wegovy in India.
Why GLP-1 surgery complications results need caution
The key caution comes from the authors themselves: the study does not prove cause and effect. Because it analysed existing medical records instead of randomly assigning patients to take or not take GLP-1 drugs, other factors may have contributed to the lower complication rates. Lead author Josephine Tolan, M.D., of UTHealth Houston says the results are encouraging but more research is needed to determine whether the medications themselves drive the benefit and how best to manage them before and after surgery.
There are other limits. The numbers are odds, not absolute risks, and the release gives no event counts or confidence intervals. It covers elective, longer operations with a stay of at least 24 hours, so it may not apply to every kind of surgery. The release does not say which drugs, doses or treatment lengths were involved, and it does not say whether the work has been peer reviewed. It also gives no advice on continuing or pausing GLP-1 medicines before an operation.
That means anyone taking these medicines should not start, stop or change them because of this study. Questions about surgery and medication belong with your surgeon, anesthesiologist or prescriber. For another ASA finding on safer recovery, see our report on post-surgery recovery apps.
My view on GLP-1 surgery complications
As a writer, I think this is a useful signal rather than an answer. The size of the dataset is impressive, and it asks a practical question that many patients and doctors face. But people who take GLP-1 drugs may differ from those who do not in ways that matching cannot fully capture. I would wait for peer-reviewed details and trials before reading it as a reason to take the drugs for surgery. The healthiest takeaway is probably to keep the conversation with your care team open.
FAQ: GLP-1 surgery complications
Do GLP-1 drugs reduce surgery complications?
Not proven. The study found an association with 11% lower odds of major heart complications and 8% lower odds of infection, but the authors say it does not show cause and effect.
How many patients were in the GLP-1 study?
The study included 2,028,601 US adults, of whom 145,610, about 7%, were taking GLP-1 medications, according to the ASA release.
Should I stop GLP-1 medicine before surgery?
The release does not say. Ask your surgeon, anesthesiologist or prescriber before changing any medicine.