GLP-1 Drugs May Lower Surgical Complications in Diabetes Patients: Study Finds

People with diabetes who were taking GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs such as tirzepatide and semaglutide had significantly lower rates of hospital readmission, wound re-opening and hematoma after surgery, according to a large study.

The study, published online in advance of print in the Annals of Surgery, analyzed de-identified hospital records covering 74,425 surgical procedures in 21,772 patients with diabetes over a three-and-a-half-year period ending in July 2023. The investigators found that patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists, had about a 12% lower risk of hospital readmission within a month of surgery, a 29% lower risk of wound re-opening within six months of surgery, and about a 56% lower risk of hematoma (a collection of blood in tissue caused by bleeding) at the surgery site, compared with patients who were not taking such medications.

The results showed that the patients with diabetes who had GLP-1 drug prescriptions were modestly less likely to require hospital readmission within 30 days of surgery, implying fewer overall complications.

The researchers also looked at some specific complications: wound re-opening, hematoma, bleeding and infection. They found that while bleeding and infection occurred about as often whether or not the patients were taking GLP-1 drugs, hematoma and wound re-opening occurred markedly less often— patients on GLP-1 drugs in the 180 days following surgery had just 71.1% the risk of wound reopening and 44.0% of the risk of hematoma, compared with patients who did not have GLP-1 drug prescriptions.

References: Aschen, Seth Z. MD, MBA*; Zhang, Ashley BSE†; O’Connell, Gillian M. MD†; Salingaros, Sophia BA*; Andy, Caroline MS‡; Rohde, Christine H. MD, MPH†; Spector, Jason A. MD*. Association of Perioperative Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Use and Postoperative Outcomes. Annals of Surgery ():10.1097/SLA.0000000000006614, December 20, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006614