U.S. bariatric surgery rates drop significantly amid GLP-1 surge
· News-MedicalThe number of metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures in the United States dropped below 200,000 in 2024 for the first time since 2020, a more than 20% decline from the prior year, according to new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (#ASMBS2026).
Researchers from Loyola University in Chicago based their 2020-2024 estimates after review of the American College of Surgeons Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (ACS-MBSAQIP) database, which includes reported outcomes from all MBSAQIP-accredited bariatric centers.
Beyond the overall recent decline, the study found meaningful 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 28.44% to 32.82%, its highest share of procedures in five years. Conversions (revisions or modifications of prior surgeries) rose from about 9% in 2020 to 11% in 2024.
"GLP-1s are starting a conversation in doctors' offices that really wasn't happening as much as it should have been," said Richard M. Peterson, MD, MPH, FASMBS, President, ASMBS and Professor of Surgery at UT Health San Antonio, who was not involved in the study. "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."
According to ASMBS, less than 1% of people eligible for metabolic and bariatric surgery currently get it in any given year. More than 270,000 procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2023, the latest estimates available. ASMBS estimates are based on multiple datasets including the MBSAQIP database used in this study.
Metabolic and bariatric or weight-loss surgery, such as gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, have been shown to be the most effective and long-lasting treatment for severe obesity. The operations improve or resolve diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure and leads to significant and durable weight loss. It has a safety profile comparable to some of the safest and most commonly performed surgeries in the U.S., including gallbladder surgery, appendectomy and knee replacement.
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