GLP-1 receptor agonist utilization is associated with a low risk of Anesthesia-related complications prior to total joint arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) have recently garnered increased attention due to their effectiveness in inducing marked weight loss among overweight and obese adults. Recent evidence, however, has raised concerns about a potential link between GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy and perioperative pulmonary aspiration. In this single-institution retrospective series, we aimed to quantify the incidence of intraoperative and early postoperative complications among patients taking GLP-1 RA before elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

METHODS

All patients who underwent primary TJA at our institution between April 2014 and October 2023 were initially screened. Patients were considered eligible for inclusion if they demonstrated consistent preoperative GLP-1 RA utilization. GLP-1 RA medication type, dosage, administration method, and treatment duration were tabulated for each patient. The primary outcomes of interest wereintraoperative anesthesia-related complications, particularly pulmonary aspiration, postoperative medical and surgical complications, and 90-day reoperation.

RESULTS

In total, 83 patients demonstrated consistent GLP-1 RA usage before primary TJA. Of these patients, 63 (75.9%) received semaglutide, 19 (22.9%) liraglutide, and 1 (1.2%) tirzepatide. No cases of acute intraoperative pulmonary aspiration were identified. Intraoperative assessment of gastric contents was not routinely performed; however, one patient was noted to have a full stomach requiring nasogastric decompression. This individual was in the dose-escalation phase of treatment, having self-administered 1 mg of semaglutide five days before surgery. Four patients (4.8%) experienced 90-day medical complications, none of which were attributed to GLP-1 RA use, and one patient (1.2%) required reoperation.

CONCLUSION

Despite recent studies suggesting an elevated risk of acute intraoperative pulmonary aspiration, our findings underscore the rare nature of intraoperative anesthesia-related adverse events in TJA patients taking GLP-1 RA.