Member Focus

Title: Chief Operating Officer
Facility Name: Carolina Interventional Pain Institute
City: Columbia
State: South Carolina
Length of time your facility has been an ASCA member: Three years

Do you have a policy on GLP-1 medications and how long before surgery they should be stopped?

The majority of procedures performed at our facility are nonanesthesia cases, particularly in interventional pain management. However, we do have two operating rooms where patients are administered MAC/general anesthesia, and we have established a policy for GLP-1 medications in such cases. Our ASC policy aligns with the recommendations of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, which are as follows.

Day or week prior to the procedure:

Hold GLP-1 agonists on the day of the procedure/surgery for patients who take the medication daily.

Hold GLP-1 agonists a week prior to the procedure/surgery for patients who take the medication weekly.

Consider consulting with an endocrinologist for guidance in patients who are taking GLP-1 agonists for diabetes management to help control their condition and prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

As GLP-1 medications become more prevalent in the community, we anticipate the emergence of additional research regarding GLP-1 agonist medications and their interaction with anesthesia.

Do you employ residents? If yes, what are your criteria and policy?

Currently, we do not have resident positions available at our facility. We operate as a small ambulatory surgical center with two operating rooms and one procedure room. While we do not offer opportunities for residents at this time, we are interested in learning about how larger facilities incorporate them into their operations.