GLP-1 + anesthesia (preoperative)

What is GLP-1 + anesthesia (preoperative)?

The American Society of Anesthesiologists' 2023 guidance recommended holding daily GLP-1s for a day and weekly ones for a week before anesthesia, because delayed gastric emptying raises aspiration risk.

The 2024 multi-society guidance, written with gastroenterology, bariatric and surgical societies, is less rigid: most patients can keep taking the drug, and those at highest risk of delayed emptying follow a liquid diet for 24 hours before the procedure. Tell the anesthetist, every time.

Related reading: GLP-1 Side Effect Timeline tool

GLP Watchdog writes these definitions from FDA labels and peer-reviewed PubMed literature.

Where GLP-1 + anesthesia (preoperative) comes up on this site

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