Does the Use of Semaglutide Affect Outcomes of Total Hip Arthroplasty?
At the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2 studies examined how the use of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) – prescribed for diabetes and/or weight management – might affect outcomes of total hip arthroplasty (THA).
In both studies, outcomes were similar for patients who were and were not taking semaglutide at the time of THA.
Momtaz DA, Tippabhatla A, Pereira D, Mittal MM, Hosseinzadeh. The effect of semaglutide (Wegovy) treatment on postoperative outcomes of THA in patients with obesity: a matched study (ePoster 312).
Using the TriNetX comprehensive national database, one group of researchers compared postoperative complications across 2 matched cohorts:
- 616 THA patients who used semaglutide for weight loss
- 616 THA patients who had not used semaglutide prior to surgery
The average patient age was 62.7 years, and 55% of patients were female. The average BMI was 35.5, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes as obesity. [1]
The researchers found that postoperative complications after THA were similar between obese patients using semaglutide and those who did not use the drug. Both cohorts experienced a similar risk of the following complications:
- Revision THA
- Periprosthetic joint infection
- Opioid-related disorders
- Surgical site infection
- Mortality
- Respiratory failure
- Pulmonary embolism
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Postoperative dehydration
- Cardiovascular comorbidities
- Shock
- Prosthesis dislocations
Magruder M, Rodriguez AN, Yao V, Erez O, Mont MA. Semaglutide use prior to THA results in fewer postoperative prosthetic joint infections and readmissions (ePoster 3212).
In the second study, researchers retrospectively evaluated patients with diabetes who were taking semaglutide at the time of THA, with a focus on:
- Medical complications
- Implant-related complications
- Readmissions
- Costs
Using the PearlDiver administrative claims database, the researchers identified 1653 patients who had undergone THA for osteoarthritis between Jan. 1, 2010, and Oct. 31, 2021; who had been diagnosed with diabetes; and who had an active prescription for semaglutide at the time of THA. These patients were propensity score matched with 7812 controls from the same database.
The researchers found that compare with controls, the patients taking semaglutide:
- Did not have statistically significant higher rates of medical complications
- Had lower rates of readmission within 90 days of surgery and lower rates of periprosthetic joint infection
- Had similar rates of other implant-related complications and similar lengths of stay, same-day surgical costs, and 90-day episode of care costs
Reference
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About adult BMI. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html#Why; accessed on February 14, 2024.