Doctors compare reimbursement of weight loss surgery against GLP-1 medication options

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In the midst of overvoltage in drug loss drugs GLP-1, some wondered if invasive procedures such as LAP strip, gastric sleeves and bypass surgeries could decline in popularity.
Carnie Wilson, from the Wilson Phillips group, recently shared its “very frightening” experience on social networks after deleting its Laparoscopic adjustable (Lap Band) group.
The singer has already undergone gastric surgery before having a lap band placed in 2012. With this procedure, a silicone device is surgically placed around part of the stomach to restrict the food intake.
Carnia Wilson admitted to the hospital due to LAP surgery complications
Wilson, 57, wrote in an Instagram publication how she was readjusted in the hospital after elimination surgery due to high blood pressure and swelling.
“It was intense. They found an ulcer in there,” said Wilson. “It doesn’t surprise me with all the stress that I had this year. They actually found an obstruction with food inside the LAP group … which makes me want a barf.”

The Wilson Carnie singer from the Wilson Phillips group recently spoke of a “frightening” experience with the withdrawal of her tour group. (Scott Dudelson)
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Wilson expressed his position against Ozempic and other weight loss drugs, saying that drugs “scare” it.
What about weight loss surgery
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently reported new research which has found that bariatric surgery offers higher weight loss and lower costs over time compared to GLP-1.
Weight loss surgery works by narrowing the stomach and re-calibrating hunger hormones and metabolism, according to Dr. Hector Perez, MD, the bariatric surgeon leading the seat of Mexico of Renew Bariatrics.
The weight loss doctor shares how GLP-1 could reclassle the body against the disease
Gastric bridging is the best for diabetes and reflux, while the sleeve gastrectomy is “simpler and very effective” but can worsen acid reflux, the doctor shared an interview with Fox News Digital.
With gastric and bypass surgeries, patients lose an average of 25% to 35% of their total body weight and “prevent most for years,” Perez said.

Obesity is a “real chronic disease that can cause recurring weight despite the intervention,” said a doctor. (istock)
“I made the patients stand out from insulin within 48 hours of surgery even before they have lost a lot of weight-because, quite simply, the intestine and the pancreas are starting to communicate differently,” he said.
“GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are fantastic tools and generally lead to weight loss from 15% to 22%, but they only work while you stay on them, while surgery can provide lasting changes without life injections,” he added.
Weight loss drugs could add years to the life of Americans, the researchers’ project
Dr. Marina Kurian, bariatric surgeon of Nyu Langone, also spoke with Fox News Digital of the way different degrees of obesity require variable treatments.
“It is not a disease of will-it is a real chronic disease that can cause recurring weight despite the intervention,” she said.

LAP bands are “notorious to cause long -term irritation”, has shared a bariatric surgeon. (istock)
“Thus, with the treatment of obesity, some people will do well with the drugs, some will do better with surgery and some may require medication and surgery.”
Potential risks
Perez noted that the lap bands are “notorious to cause long -term irritation”.
“The Lap Band is frankly obsolete,” he told Fox News Digital. “I spend more time withdrawing them than placing them … I took out bands later that literally eroded in the stomach wall like a zipper which slowly chewed the fabric.”
“In 2025, the most intelligent approach was no longer” surgery or drugs “- it uses them together, strategically.”
Kurian has recognized that “things can happen” in any type of surgery, stressing that Wilson’s complications were performing when the Tour Strip was eliminated after 13 years with the implant.
“Most of our patients are doing extremely well,” she said. “The body of complications with each of these procedures is quite long term.”

Many patients add weight loss drugs after surgical procedures. (istock)
In her own practice, Kurian said that she had experienced a decrease in weight loss surgeries following the popularity of GLP-1, but noted that it was “very subjective” depending on the cost and coverage.
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Patients who have a body mass index of 27 with a related medical condition, or those who have a BMI of 30 to 40 (qualifying as obese), have responded better to GLP-1, showed research.
Most medical directives indicate that people with a BMI 40 or over, or a BMI of 35 or more with a state of obesity health, are eligible for weight loss surgery.
‘Not a free pass’
For those who are candidates for weight loss surgery, Perez stressed that it was not a “free pass” because it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle to maintain the results.
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“You will need a protein-oriented diet and a muscles preservation exercise,” he said. “You will take daily vitamins and make straps forever, by sailing on side effects such as reflux or spill, and constantly protecting against the easy removal of liquid calories and pasture – but for most patients, the compromise is worth it.”
The Perez council is to choose a procedure based on the history of reflux, the status of diabetes, lifestyle and the desire to follow in the long term.

An exercise powered by proteins and preserving muscles is always necessary after surgery. (istock)
“In 2025, the most intelligent approach was no longer” surgery or medication “- it uses them together, strategically,” said Perez.
Kurian has accepted, adding that patients who have done well with surgery but who experience weight recurrence will often benefit from the addition of a drug to their treatment.
“It is a range of treatment for the severity of the disease and almost personalize it to the individual patient,” she said.
The doctor defends GLP-1
Dr. Brett Osborn, an expert in neurosurgeon and Florida longevity, previously stressed that bariatric surgery can have a “significant risk” and that it does not break the need for behavioral changes.
“Surgery does not teach discipline,” he told Fox News Digital. “It does not reclaim your brain. It simply narrows your stomach and hopes you comply with a Postoperative regime that most people do not have the will to follow. This is why the recurrence rate (resuming the weight) is high. “”
“Surgery does not teach discipline.”
The GLP-1 agonists, on the other hand, target the command centers of the brain of appetite and satiety, noted Osborn.
“They decrease hunger, increase satiety and ultimately change the behavior of the interior,” he said. “They don’t just change your body – they change your biology.”
The doctor also noted that GLP-1 was linked to health benefits beyond weight loss, especially Reduced risk of dementia and protection against heart disease.

GLP-1 drugs target the basting and satiety brain command centers, noted a doctor. (istock)
“Yes, these drugs are expensive. Yes, they can cause gastrointestinal side effects. But these are manageable with monitoring of competent doctors and good education,” added Osborn.
A spokesperson for Eli Lilly, manufacturer of Mounjaro and Zepbounde, previously provided the statement below to Fox News Digital.
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“Obesity drugs, like Zepbound, represent a significant progress in the treatment of obesity, offering a non -invasive treatment option for people living with this chronic disease. Although bariatric surgery remains an important and effective intervention for certain patients, it is not appropriate or accessible for everyone. Since obesity cannot be treated with a number of patients.”
Tracy Wright and Melissa Rudy from Fox News Digital contributed to this report.