Weight Loss Surgeries Fall More Than 20% As Patients Turn To GLP-1 Meds, Experts Say

Key TakeawaysWeight-loss surgery procedures are decliningThere was a more than 20% drop in surgeries in recent yearsGLP-1 drugs are likely the reason, experts said.WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The number of weight-loss surgery procedures in the United States is dropping rapidly in the face of cutting-edge drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound, a new study says.These procedures dropped by more than 20% between 2022 and 2024, falling below 200,000 for the first time this decade, researchers reported Tuesday at a meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).“After years of steady growth, the number of metabolic and bariatric procedures in the U.S. is experiencing a decline amid persistently high obesity rates and a surge in the use of GLP-1 medications,” said lead researcher Dr. Tyler Cohn, an associate professor at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.“While we did not study causation, the concern is that many patients are selecting non-surgical therapies for obesity without fully understanding all of their available options,” Cohn said in a news release. “Millions more are living with obesity and are not receiving treatment at all.”For the study, researchers analyzed data from the American College of Surgeons, which tracks procedures and outcomes at all accredited bariatric surgery centers. The data ran from 2020 to 2024.A little more than 177,000 weight loss surgeries took place in 2024, researchers found, representing a 23% decline from a peak of more than 230,000 surgeries in 2022, researchers found.Results also showed shifts in the types of operations being performed between 2020 and 2024:Sleeve gastrectomy, long the dominant procedure, fell from 64% of all surgeries to 58%.Gastric bypass increased from 28% to 33%, its highest share of procedures in five years.Revisions or modifications of prior surgeries rose from about 9% to 11%.“GLP-1s are starting a conversation in doctors’ offices that really wasn’t happening as much as it should have been,” said Dr. Richard Peterson, who reviewed the findings. He’s a professor of surgery at UT Health San Antonio and ASMBS president.“The high demand for these drugs and greater attention on the dangers of obesity has created an unprecedented opportunity to educate and engage patients on all proven treatments, not just medications, which is essential to effectively treating this chronic disease,” Peterson added.Fewer than 1% of people eligible for weight-loss surgery now get it in any given year, according to the ASMBS.Researchers presented these findings at the ASMBS meeting in San Antonio.Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.More informationThe University of Rochester has more on frequently asked questions about bariatric surgery.SOURCE: American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, news release, May 5, 2026 .What This Means For YouPeople with obesity should talk to their doctor about all options for treatment, including weight-loss surgery..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Weight Loss Surgeries Fall More Than 20% As Patients Turn To GLP-1 Meds, Experts Say

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