Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist used commonly to help treat diabetes. It is used now to help with weight loss. While it does help a lot of patients lose weight, it needs to be stopped prior to your operation.

Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists work by slowing the gastric emptying, which cause patients to feel full and reduce their appetite. Prior to your operation we will instruct you to not eat or drink anything for several hours. If someone is on these medications, they can still have a full stomach. This puts them at risk for vomiting. If vomiting occurs during the intubation process (when the anesthesiologist is placing the breathing tube) it can lead to aspiration (vomited material traveling into the lungs).

For this reason, any patient on Ozempic, or other GLP-1 receptor agonists , will be instructed to stop the medication 2 weeks prior to their surgery. They can continue a week after their surgery.

Other commonly used GLP-1 receptor agonists include:

  • Trulicity
  • Byetta
  • Victoza
  • Mounjaro
  • Wegovy
  • Zepbound