Bariatric surgery gains attention at NCH as alternative to GLP-1 weight loss drugs
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Updated: 1:12 PM EDT Aug 31, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
ByAmy Oshier
Bariatric surgery gains attention at NCH as alternative to GLP-1 weight loss drugs
Updated: 1:12 PM EDT Aug 31, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
ByAmy Oshier
NAPLES, Fla. —
As GLP-1 weight loss drugs fall short for some patients, bariatric surgery is gaining renewed attention as a durable solution for weight loss
For most of her life, Dana Sansonetti struggled with her weight
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“I was 276 pounds,” Sansonetti said
Her weight affected every aspect of her life
“I couldn’t even climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath,” she said
Sansonetti tried dieting, exercise, and weekly GLP-1 injections
“It was becoming so expensive. So I stopped, and I gained my way back plus some,” she said
Seeking a more permanent solution, Sansonetti turned to bariatric surgery and NCH bariatric surgeon Dr. Mina Saeed
“Studies have continued to show that bariatric surgery is the most durable weight loss treatment out there,” Saeed said. “Patients will lose anywhere from 50 to 65 percent of their extra body weight, and they’re more likely to keep it off long term.”
GLP-1 drugs mimic hormones that create a feeling of fullness, but the benefits diminish if the medication is discontinued. This has prompted many people to explore surgical options
“The two most common surgeries in the United States are the sleeve gastrectomy and the gastric bypass,” Saeed said. “In the sleeve, you’re simply just removing about 70% of the stomach using a stapler. And the gastric bypass involves rerouting the way food is traveling through your GI tract.”
Saeed emphasized that surgery and GLP-1 drugs are not necessarily competing treatments
“When I see obese patients, I oftentimes put them on GLP medications,” Saeed said. “If the GLP medication helps them get part of the way there, then they’re safer to undergo surgery.”
GLP-1 injectables were initially introduced as a treatment for diabetic patients
“Bariatric surgery is one of the only cures you can say for diabetes,” Saeed said
Sansonetti underwent a gastric sleeve operation in 2023
“My life has changed in the best ways,” she said. “I’m able to keep up with my daughter. We exercise as a family. And it’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
A July study from LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that young adults aged 25 and under who were morbidly obese experienced significant success with weight loss surgery, maintaining their weight loss for at least five years. The study also noted a reduction in their risk for major health conditions
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