GLP-1 Drugs in the OR: What the 2026 Guideline Review Means for Surgeons
A comparative review published in the Saudi Journal of Anesthesia in 2026 examined five international perioperative guidelines on GLP-1 receptor agonists issued between January 2023 and March 2026, from bodies including the AAGBI/RCoA (2025) and SPAQI (2025). Its finding: four of the five now recommend continuing the medication through surgery with modified fasting protocols, reversing the stop-the-drug position the American Society of Anesthesiologists held in 2023. Yet the review also found the guidelines disagree on the details — only one distinguishes high-calorie from low-calorie liquids, three warn that the absence of GI symptoms cannot be relied on to judge aspiration risk, and all five endorse gastric ultrasound without agreeing on a validated decision threshold. For surgical teams, the direction of travel is clear; the operational specifics are still being worked out in real time.
That is precisely the gap Chapter 18 of Advances in Surgery, 2026 is built to close. Edited by John L. Cameron, The Alfred Blalock Distinguished Service Professor of Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, this year's edition devotes a dedicated article to "Surgery on Patients Taking Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists," synthesizing the evidence a surgical department needs to write — or revise — its own protocol, rather than reconciling five separate guideline PDFs under deadline.
Three uses stand out for departments working through this volume. First, anesthesiology and surgical teams drafting or updating an institutional GLP-1 protocol can use the chapter as a starting synthesis before cross-checking against the primary guidelines. Second, surgical planning for colorectal cancer gains a second lever in this edition: Chapter 1 reviews robotic versus laparoscopic colectomy outcomes, giving departments comparative evidence for two decisions — technique and perioperative drug management — that increasingly arise in the same patient. Third, risk and quality-improvement committees reviewing aspiration-related adverse events now have a 2026-current reference point for where the evidence stands and where it remains unsettled.
For academic and hospital libraries supporting surgical departments, the appeal of the Advances in Surgery series is that it does the triage a single clinician rarely has time for: nineteen focused, peer-reviewed articles covering a full year of practice-relevant surgical literature, from colorectal and breast surgery to vascular and perioperative medicine, in one acquisition rather than a subscription list. CLNZ Books sources this title directly from Elsevier, ships worldwide with secure card and PayPal payment, and offers institutional invoicing for library and departmental orders — the same sourcing and support behind every title in our Medicine collection.
Q&A
What does Advances in Surgery, 2026 cover?
Nineteen peer-reviewed articles on the year's most significant developments in colorectal, breast, vascular, endocrine, and abdominal wall surgery, plus perioperative topics such as GLP-1 receptor agonist management and anticoagulation timing after trauma.
Does the book reflect the 2026 shift in GLP-1 perioperative guidance?
Yes. Chapter 18 is dedicated specifically to surgery in patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists, addressing the same question recent comparative guideline reviews have been tracking through 2026.
Who edits the Advances in Surgery series?
John L. Cameron, MD, The Alfred Blalock Distinguished Service Professor of Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, leads the editorial board that commissions each year's articles.
Is this edition useful outside general surgery — for vascular or breast surgery teams, for example?
Yes. Coverage spans vascular surgery (bypass versus endovascular therapy for chronic limb-threatening ischemia), breast surgery (axillary surgery omission, breast sarcoma), and endocrine surgery (thyroid cancer surveillance), alongside general and colorectal surgery.
Where can I buy Advances in Surgery, 2026?
Directly from CLNZ Books, with worldwide shipping included and secure payment by credit card or PayPal.