Injection or Surgery? CSMBS 2026 Explores Bariatric Surgery–Pharmacotherapy Synergy

Focusing on Public Confusion Over Weight Loss: From “Either-Or” to “Precision Management Across the Full Disease Course”

GLP-1 weight-loss injections have been popular for years, yet clinical bariatric surgery volumes continue to rise against the trend. Many people with obesity are therefore caught by a core question: should I try injections first, or go directly to surgery? Can drugs be used after surgery for consolidation? From November 6 to 8, the 7th Annual Academic Conference of the Guangdong Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (GSMBS 2026), held under the theme “Eastern Wisdom-Led: A Comprehensive Approach to Obesity Integrating Bariatric Surgery and Multimodal Therapies” concluded successfully in Guangzhou. The meeting was held jointly with the 3rd Asian Bariatric Surgery Symposium (ABSS 2026) and the 2nd Symposium on Integrated Management of Obesity and Metabolic Surgery(CSIH 2026).
Under the coordination of Professor Dong Zhiyong, Chair of the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Branch of Guangdong Medical Association and of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, the meeting was organized by the branch together with Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, the Third Affiliated Hospital of South China University of Technology, and the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University. It brought together top global expertise and pointed the way toward scientific intervention for obesity and metabolic diseases.

Cross-Border Academic Resonance: Experts from 8 Countries Build a Leading Asian Academic Platform

The meeting served as an important academic platform in Asian bariatric and metabolic surgery, thanks to the coordinated organization of the leadership of the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Branch of Guangdong Medical Association and the collaborative efforts of the organizing teams. The conference attracted 272 top bariatric experts from about 120 cities across China and from the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions of China, and welcomed 11 distinguished international guests from eight countries: Mongolia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Pakistan, and Nepal.There were 512 in-person general participants and more than 510 online participants, with over 1,000 healthcare professionals participating both on-site and online. Colleagues from home and abroad crossed mountains and seas to engage in multidimensional academic exchanges, helping to strengthen Asia’s international voice in this field.

Joining Forces to Build a Matrix: Guangdong and Sichuan Teams Co-Chair, Showcasing Young and Middle-Aged Experts

With the rapid expansion of the field, surgical procedures are also evolving. According to conference academic reports, sleeve gastrectomy accounts for more than 80%, while dual-channel surgery and revisional surgery are growing rapidly. How to align diagnostic and treatment standards and reduce clinical variation has become an important task for leading teams. The opening ceremony was co-chaired by Professor Dong Zhiyong from Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital and Professor Ren Yixing from the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College. With an international perspective and professional moderation, the two experts showcased the outstanding style of the younger and middle-aged generation of bariatric experts.

At the opening ceremony, Vice President Li Yong of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital delivered a welcome address. Academician Fan Jia of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Professor Wang Jianping of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Vice President Zhang Zhongtao of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University (video address); President Liu Jingang of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University; Vice President Zhu Shaihong of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; President Wang Cunchuan of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University; and Professor Lilian Kow, former President of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), among other Chinese and international authoritative experts, spoke successively. Together they outlined the blueprint for the discipline: with “surgery as the core,” deeply integrating medical intervention, nutritional support, and multidisciplinary teamwork (MDT) to establish a systematic treatment pathway covering the full life cycle of obesity.

The successful holding of the conference demonstrated the collaborative strength of China’s bariatric and metabolic field. The conference was coordinated by the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Branch of Guangdong Medical Association and jointly organized by Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, the Third Affiliated Hospital of South China University of Technology, and the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University.

As the institution of the branch chair, the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital team (Li Yong, Dong Zhiyong, and others) played a coordinating and leading role in multidisciplinary comprehensive management and full-course intervention; the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College team (Ren Yixing and others) demonstrated the solid surgical strength of a regional medical center; and the teams from the Third Affiliated Hospital of South China University of Technology and the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (Wang Cunchuan and others) continued to make efforts in medical-engineering integration, technological innovation, and international exchange. The cross-regional and interdisciplinary collaboration of the four teams reflects the improvement of China’s collaborative capacity in the treatment system for severe obesity and complex metabolic syndrome, providing patients with safer and more efficient medical care.

Moving Beyond “Either-Or”: Focusing on Synergistic Breakthroughs in Pharmacotherapy and Surgery

In the past, the public often regarded “injections” and “surgery” as a single-choice question. But as the academic discussions at the conference revealed, obesity is a chronic disease. Drugs and surgery are not competing alternatives; they are different intervention nodes in the same management plan. According to conference disclosures, the total number of bariatric metabolic surgeries nationwide reached 40,059 in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 23.9%, setting a historic high. Behind this figure is the real demand for combination therapy among many people who enter a plateau after surgery or have comorbid metabolic problems. 

Under the initiative of Professor Dong Zhiyong, Chair of the branch, the conference specially set up sessions including “Integrated Management of Obesity Comorbidities: Surgical and Pharmacological Synergy from the IFSO Perspective.”

Breakthrough and Outlook: Leading Global Obesity Prevention and Treatment with “Eastern Wisdom”

From the first laparoscopic bariatric surgery in China in 2000 to an annual surgical volume exceeding 40,000 in 2025, China’s bariatric and metabolic surgery has entered a new stage of refinement and standardization. The successful conclusion of this conference was not only a display of academic achievements but also a direct response to real social concerns such as “injection or surgery.” 

Professor Dong Zhiyong, Chair of the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Branch of Guangdong Medical Association, said that the branch will continue to join hands with medical colleagues in China and Asia, adopt a more open approach, deepen exploration of the synergy between pharmacotherapy and surgery, and use superb medical skills and full-cycle management to bring hope of regaining health to patients with obesity worldwide. Young physicians are the future of the discipline. At the gala dinner, honors were also presented to outstanding young talents, encouraging them to shoulder the responsibility of carrying the discipline forward.