What is the reco to pause Wegovy prior to surgery?

Question

Looking at mommy makeover and I take wegovy. I am wondering what the recommendation is to pause the med prior to surgery and when I would be able to start after.

Jerimiah Mason, MD · Answer

Must stop Wegovy one week before surgery. Can really restart it any time after surgery, no need to wait a set amount of time.

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

If you are taking Wegovy (semaglutide) and planning a mommy makeover, the timing should be coordinated with your plastic surgeon, anesthesiologist, and the clinician prescribing Wegovy.

The older recommendation was to hold weekly GLP-1 medications for one week before surgery. However, more recent multi-society guidance has moved away from automatically stopping GLP-1 medications for everyone. Many patients can continue them, depending on their individual risk factors and the type of anesthesia being used.

The reason for the concern is that Wegovy slows stomach emptying, which can increase the risk of regurgitation and aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation. The current Wegovy prescribing information specifically advises patients to tell their surgical and anesthesia teams that they are taking the medication.

For an elective procedure such as a mommy makeover, I would be particularly cautious if you are:

Recently increasing your Wegovy dose
Having significant nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, or constipation
Taking a higher dose and experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms
Having other conditions that may slow gastric emptying

If the surgical/anesthesia team does recommend holding Wegovy, the exact timing should come from them rather than using a universal “one week” rule.

After surgery, I generally would not restart it until you are recovering well, able to eat and drink normally, and do not have significant nausea, vomiting, or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Your surgeon should also be comfortable that there are no postoperative concerns that would make restarting it inappropriate. If several doses are missed, the Wegovy prescribing information has specific instructions for restarting, and the dose may need to be adjusted rather than simply resuming the previous dose.

For a major elective surgery, the safest approach is therefore not to stop or restart Wegovy on your own. The anesthesia team should know your dose, when your last injection was, and whether you have any gastrointestinal symptoms so they can make an individualized perioperative plan.

William Bruno, MD · Answer

You should stop your weight loss injections (semaglutide or tirzepatide)- (Ozempic,Wegovy,Mounjaro) about two to four weeks before and resume three to four weeks after your surgery. Since these medications slow down your stomach emptying, it’s important that your stomach be empty during surgery to avoid aspiration (stomach contents coming up and going into your lungs). You can certainly discuss this with your surgeon and anesthesiologist as some practices and surgery centers have their own specific protocols.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Dr.Bruno

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Dr.Bruno

Jorge Maytorena, MD · Answer

at least 2 weeks before the procedure, if you are going to have a plastic surgery procedure, to avoid complications

Daniel P. Markmann, MD · Answer

The recommendation is to stop taking it for at least 2 weeks prior to surgery.    If you are having severe  Gastroparesis, (stomach not emptying) that is causing constant symptoms of nausea, vomiting, reflux, then you may need to stop earlier.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Medications like Wegovy and Ozempic slow stomach emptying.  This could be concerning during surgery because when under anesthesia you could potentially aspirate if your stomach isn't empty.  For this reason your surgeon will want you to stop the medication prior to surgery.  Typically three weeks or more is recommended.  Your surgeon is the best one to answer this question as she/he is most familiar with your planned surgery and medical history.

Navjot Singh, MD, FACG · Answer

Thank you for your question. Wegovy (semaglutide) should be stopped 2-3 weeks before mommy makeover surgery to minimize gastrointestinal side effects associated with slowing gastric transit. Slow gastric transit may raise the risk of aspiration during surgery and cause a delayed recovery. It is best to start Wegovy when you are completely recovered. You must talk about this with your surgeon before surgery.

Darren West, MD · Answer

It is good the you are thinking about this ahead of time. The ultimate decision will come from a discussion with your anesthesiologist, so be sure to bring this up in your pre-operative screening. However, in general, a typical recommendation would be to stop the medication about 2-3 weeks prior to surgery. The main reasoning is to decrease the GI side effects of slowed gastric transit, which could put you at risk for aspiration and slower surgical recovery. It would be advisable to wait to restart the medication until you are fully cleared and recovered from your surgery as good nutrition and digestion are important for any surgical recovery.

What is the reco to pause Wegovy prior to surgery?

Answers (8)

More Semaglutide Questions

Overweight by 50lbs & tried other weight loss for gain attributed to menopause - can I try ozempic?

Ozempic and pancreatitis

Taking Ozempic injections after liposuction

Ozempic after BBL?

Will Ozempic dissolve/metabolize the fat injections/dermal fillers in my face faster?

How does Ozempic dosage work for weight loss?

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS