GLP-1 Weight Loss Not Linked to Higher Body-Contouring Surgery Complication Rates

The method patients used to lose weight—including injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist pharmacotherapy—was not associated with differences in postoperative complication rates after body-contouring surgery, according to a retrospective study published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

The growing use of GLP-1 receptor agonists has increased interest in post–weight loss body contouring, but whether the method of weight loss affects surgical outcomes has remained unclear. The authors compared complications following bariatric surgery, injectable GLP-1 pharmacotherapy, combination therapy, and lifestyle modification.

Body-Contouring Outcomes After GLP-1 and Bariatric Weight Loss

The study population included 1,002 adults who underwent panniculectomy, brachioplasty, thighplasty, or breast surgery after weight loss between January 2019 and December 2024. Bariatric surgery accounted for 67.9% of weight-loss methods, followed by lifestyle modification (14.3%), combination therapy (10.1%), and GLP-1 pharmacotherapy (7.8%). Baseline characteristics differed significantly among the groups. The primary outcome was postoperative complications within 90 days.

Complication rates did not differ according to weight-loss modality. Complication patterns varied by procedure. Higher BMI at the time of surgery and diabetes independently predicted greater complication risk.

The authors said the retrospective, single-center design limited the generalizability of the findings.

“Weight-loss modality does not appear to impact the incidence of postoperative complications following body-contouring surgery,” the authors concluded. “BMI at the time of surgery and diabetes are independent predictors of adverse outcomes.”

Source

Abbott E, et al. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2026;46(9):1029–1036. Doi:10.1093/asj/sjag049