As the use of weight loss medications including glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists grows rapidly, physicians are still figuring out how the medications might interact with other medications, including anesthesia.
GLP-1s are just one of several medications that could interfere with anesthesia in patients, according to a report from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
In November, the American Society of Anesthesiologists called for all patients to stop taking the medications prior to elective procedures and surgeries.
"From the perspective of an anesthesiologist, the most notable concern is that of aspiration secondary to delayed gastric emptying. This is of particular concern the first 20 weeks of starting the medication, but may reduce significantly with longer duration of use. Given this documented concern, the American Society of Anesthesiologists has published guidelines for the perioperative management of all the GLP-1 inhibitors, like Ozempic," Michael Finamore, DO, an anesthesiologist at Youngstown, Ohio-based Orthopaedic Surgery Center, told Becker's.
GLP-1s are known to put patients at risk of vomiting and aspiration under anesthesia because they slow the time it takes for food to leave the stomach. Even when patients stop eating for the advised period before anesthesia, these drugs may still cause them to have a full stomach, according to MD Anderson.
Other medications that could impact anesthesia patients include blood thinners, blood clotting drugs, and blood pressure and heart failure medications.