Young people between the ages of 13 and 17 who are obese can go to the Máxima Medical Center in Veldhoven for a stomach reduction. These are young people for whom everything has already been tried in the fight against obesity, but without results.
In the Netherlands you are only eligible for a stomach reduction if you are older than 18 years. This operation may only be performed on young people under the age of 18 if it concerns a study. The hospital in Veldhoven is currently conducting such a study together with Maastricht UMC+.
Strict selection
A teenager is not just a candidate for the procedure. This is preceded by a strict procedure. For example, the young person must be referred by a paediatrician to a center of expertise if all relevant treatments have been tried, without results. It is then examined whether the person is suitable to undergo the procedure. The green light is only given after a positive advice from a national platform consisting of a team of experts, including a paediatrician, surgeon, psychologist and dietician.
François van Dielen is an obesity surgeon at the MMC and initiator of the research. “With this study, we expect to be able to demonstrate that stomach reduction, as part of an extensive counseling program for young people with serious obesity, yields enormous health benefits and that their life expectancy increases,” he said in a press statement.
Intensive support
After the operation, the young people are supervised for five years by COACH in Maastricht. This is a center of expertise in the field of obesity among young people. The aim of the guidance is to encourage young people to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to learn how to deal with their stomach reduction.
The now 18-year-old Laura Punt underwent a stomach reduction as part of this study. When she was 15 years old, she weighed 130 kilograms. She underwent surgery last year and has since lost almost 50 kilos.