Semaglutide use in patients with Type 2 diabetes was associated with reduced postoperative complications after 90 days, according to a study in the March 2025 issue of The Spine Journal.

Researchers used the 2010 to Q2 2022 M161Ortho PearlDiver Mariner Patient Claims Database to assess outcomes of single-level posterior lumbar fusions. Type 2 diabetic patients were grouped as either using insulin or not, and those using semaglutide were identified in those groups.

Of all the patients included, those who didn’t take insulin and those using semaglutide had significantly lower odds of minor adverse events and emergency room visits within 90 after surgery. Patients who used insulin and semaglutide had significantly lower odds of any type of adverse event postoperatively and emergency department visits. 

The study “found consistent reductions in aggregated 90-day adverse events, but similar odds of hospital readmission for T2DM patients undergoing PLF taking semaglutide preoperatively. These encouraging findings of reduced postoperative complications suggest further prospective analysis, as the observed findings suggest clinical benefit to semaglutide being utilized by the studied patient population.”