The Difference Between Semaglutide and Weight Loss Surgery?

While both of these weight loss methods can be effective, there are some major differences between them, the most important one being the prevention.

Since semaglutide has a very high weight regain percentage, it is mostly used for early prevention, while weight loss surgery stands as one of the most effective ways of losing excessive weight for good.

The Main Difference Between Semaglutide and Weight Loss Surgery

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from my patients saying “Dr. Choi, how do you feel about semaglutide versus weight loss surgery?”

So what I’ve been telling my patients is that I do prescribe weight loss injections, semaglutides, to my patients in my practice.

Semaglultide as a Prevention

However, I also tell them that one is for treatment and one’s for prevention, meaning that the semaglutide, like Wegovy, Zepobound, and Mounjaro are great alternatives, however, they’re just prevention, meaning that you have an 85% recidivism or 85% chance that after you stop these injections, that you’ll gain all your weight back.

Weight Loss Surgery as a Treatment

Secondly, the treatment for obesity is weight loss surgery, meaning gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, duodenal switches, and SADI-S, so in my opinion they’re both great options however one’s the treatment and one’s for prevention.