NYC Gazette

A recent study has indicated that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists may help reduce postoperative complications for patients with morbid obesity undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The research focused on individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m² or more who used GLP-1 receptor agonists for at least 90 days before and after their surgery.

Billy I. Kim, MD, an orthopedic surgery resident at HSS, led the study along with colleagues. They analyzed data from patients with morbid obesity who underwent primary TKA between January 2010 and October 2022. The researchers compared outcomes between two matched groups: those who filled a prescription for GLP-1s within the specified timeframe around their surgery and those who did not use these medications.

The study involved 2,975 patients in each group at the 90-day follow-up mark and 1,766 patients in each group at the two-year follow-up. Additionally, they examined outcomes in a cohort of patients with severe obesity (BMI of 35 kg/m² to 39.9 kg/m²), where 5,949 patients were available at the 90-day follow-up and 3,530 at the two-year mark.

Results showed that among patients with morbid obesity taking GLP-1s, there was a significant reduction in periprosthetic joint infections (1% vs. 1.8%), medical complications (10.6% vs. 12.7%), and readmissions (5.3% vs. 8.9%) compared to those not taking GLP-1s within the first 90 days post-surgery. However, no differences were observed in surgical complication rates between these groups after two years.

For further details on this study, visit healio.com.