SAN ANTONIO — Even though they were originally made to tackle diabetes, weight loss medications called GLP-1s like Wegovy or Ozempic, have been found to help improve many other conditions like obesity. But they also come along with more risks as well.
The American Society of Anesthesiology came out with some guidelines late last year saying anyone taking a GLP-1s, needs to be off it for one week prior to elective surgery or scheduled surgery because of serious health risks while unconscious for a procedure.
"I've been taking Wegovy for a couple of weeks. It was prescribed by my cardiologist to lose about 20 pounds. I'm just on it for a month," said Chaplain Ginger Treanor who has been taking Wegovy, a popular GLP-1.
Last week she went into National Jewish Health for a bronchoscopy to check out her lungs and airways. But just a few days before had taken a dose of her Wegovy. She added, "She said there's probably food still on your stomach and you can aspirate into your lungs if we go through with this without intubating." Treanor said she was surprised she wasn't told about the issue earlier, but went ahead with the procedure and said she was thankful the anesthesiologist caught it before she was put under. She also expressed frustration that nobody brough it up beforehand.
GLP-1s slow down gastric emptying. So patients could still have food in their stomach if they ate the day before their surgery and didn't stop the medication as directed, typically a week prior. If you're under anesthesia you can not protect your airway, and that could allow food to passively travel up the esophagus and into the lungs.
Dr. Lee Carlisle, the Director of Anesthesia with University Health added, "That's where the anesthesiologist has to come in and do it for you and place a breathing tube. In the event that the patient doesn't have any food in their stomach, it's not a concern because there's nothing that could potentially possibly travel up the esophagus into the lungs."
That is why being 100% transparent with your doctor is so important. Your life depends on it.
Dr. Carlisle said, "I just would encourage patients to participate in that doctor patient confidentiality process completely." Treanor added, "Some people may be hesitant to share that because they don't want people to know they're on a weight loss drug. But I'm an open person."
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