Bariatric Surgery News and Research

Latest Bariatric Surgery News and Research

Why exercise matters for obesity even when the scale barely moves

AHA's scientific statement reveals exercise's vital role in obesity management, boosting cardiovascular health and supporting long-term weight loss efforts.

4 Jun 2026

New stent design could improve treatment of gastric leaks

Each year, about 250,000 Americans undergo sleeve gastrectomy, one of the most common weight-loss operations in the United States. For most patients, recovery is uneventful.

3 Jun 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help prevent breast cancer? New study points to a possible link

A large retrospective cohort study of 111,646 overweight or obese women found that GLP-1 agonist exposure was associated with lower breast cancer incidence. After propensity-score matching, GLP-1 exposure was linked to nearly 30% lower odds of breast cancer, but the authors stress that randomized trials are needed before these drugs can be considered for prevention.

3 Jun 2026

Whole-body PET scans track metabolic recovery after weight-loss surgery

A novel PET imaging framework reveals that bariatric surgery impacts not only body weight, but also the metabolic function of multiple organs.

1 Jun 2026

Bariatric surgery improves long-term ability to manage household tasks

People who undergo bariatric surgery and see substantial weight loss are better able to cope with household tasks such as cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping.

1 Jun 2026

Retatrutide reshapes metabolism in obesity and type 2 diabetes, study finds

Retatrutide altered circulating metabolites and lipids linked to fatty acid oxidation and insulin resistance in people with obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes. These biomarker changes suggest improved metabolic health, but the post-hoc analysis remains hypothesis-generating and does not prove direct clinical benefit.

26 May 2026

Researchers link surgical weight loss to reduced female cancer mortality rates

Substantial and sustained weight-loss has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and cancer-related death, mainly in women. Two new studies now provide clues to why the risk is reduced - and suggest that gender, metabolism and genetics may play a crucial role.

25 May 2026

Semaglutide helps patients who gain weight after bariatric surgery

New UCL research supports use of the weight loss drug semaglutide for patients who do not get enough benefit from bariatric surgery.

22 May 2026

The role of gut bacteria in sustained diabetes improvement

Changes in gut microbiota after bariatric surgery are strongly linked to altered metabolic health and sustained improvement in type 2 diabetes, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg.

7 May 2026

Bariatric surgery offers greater long-term health protection for seniors than GLP-1 drugs

Metabolic and bariatric surgery offers significantly greater long-term protection against heart attack, stroke and death than widely-used GLP-1 drugs in older adults with obesity and diabetes, according to new real-world analysis study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

6 May 2026

Bariatric surgery outperforms GLP-1 medications for obesity disease remission

Metabolic and bariatric surgery delivers significantly greater weight loss and higher rates of obesity-related disease remission than glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), according to one of the largest and most comprehensive real-world comparisons of the two treatments.

6 May 2026

U.S. bariatric surgery rates drop significantly amid GLP-1 surge

The number of metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures in the United States dropped below 200,000 in 2024 for the first time since 2020, a more than 20% decline from the prior year, according to new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease

Metabolic and bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery, dramatically improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly reducing the risk of kidney failure, major cardiovascular events and death, according to new research presented here today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

GLP-1 use surges as surgery rates drop for severe obesity

Drawing on electronic health records from nearly 20 million patients with severe obesity, researchers from University of California San Diego find that GLP-1 prescriptions have grown exponentially -- from less than 4,600 prescriptions in 2018 to more than 1.4 million in 2025 -- according to a new real-world analysis presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery costs significantly less than GLP-1 drugs over two years

A new real-world analysis of more than 90,000 patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes finds metabolic and bariatric surgery is costs significantly less than weekly injections of GLP-1 drugs over a two-year period, according to a new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

GLP-1 drugs combined with surgery yield superior weight loss results

People who begin obesity treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) and then undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery achieve substantially greater weight loss than with the medications alone, according to new research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Prediabetes leaves lasting fat tissue changes after bariatric surgery

Prediabetes may leave a lasting molecular "footprint" on adipose (fat) tissue which appears to make maintaining weight loss after bariatric surgery more difficult, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May).

22 Apr 2026