Bariatric surgery has long been considered the gold standard for treating obesity. However, with weight-loss medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists skyrocketing in popularity, fewer patients are choosing surgery.
According to national insurance data from 2022 to 2024, GLP-1 drug use surged by 140.4%, while metabolic bariatric surgery utilization dropped by 34.1%.
"The reality in clinical practice is that weight-loss medications have decreased the number of surgeries being performed," Noel Williams, MD, of Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, told MedPage Today.
"However, patients with a significantly high BMI [body mass index], those who have tried the medications without losing enough weight, or those who cannot tolerate the medications should still be surgical candidates," he continued. "Surgery is still the gold standard in terms of weight loss."
What Guidelines Recommend
