Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons

NESPS Home NESPS Home Past & Future Meetings Past & Future Meetings

Back to 2026 Abstracts

Impact of GLP-1 Agonists on Surgical Wound Complications Following Panniculectomy for Patients with Prior History of Bariatric Surgery
Janey Song1, Charles Lee2, Mary C. McDonough*1, Timothy S. Johnson2
1Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA; 2Plastic Surgery, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA

Background: GLP-1 agonists have become a promising option for patients experiencing insufficient weight loss or weight regain after bariatric surgery. Although of low incidence, surgical site wound complications have been observed in patients using these medications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of GLP-1 agonists on postoperative surgical site outcomes in patients with prior history of bariatric surgery who were undergoing panniculectomy. Methods: The TriNetX National Health Research database was queried to identify patients with prior history of bariatric surgery who subsequently underwent panniculectomy. Postoperative outcomes including surgical wound infections and dehiscence within 30 days post-procedure were assessed based on patients' GLP-1 agonist use status. Results: A total of 11,359 patients were observed. Of which, 1,188 were GLP-1 agonist users vs 10,171 non-users. After propensity matching and balancing the cohorts of their demographics and comorbidities, a total of 1,184 patients were identified in each group. There was a statistically significant difference for surgical site complication for patients undergoing panniculectomy with a history of bariatric surgery with documented GLP-1 agonist use (7.3%) compared to non-users (4.7%); p=0.009. Conclusion: In patients with prior bariatric surgery undergoing panniculectomy, GLP-1 agonist use was associated with a significantly increased risk of 30-day postoperative surgical site complications compared to non-users. Careful counseling and pre-operative evaluation should be performed on patients taking GLP-1 agonist agents especially if they have a prior history of bariatric surgery.
Back to 2026 Abstracts