Turku University Hospital will begin performing bariatric surgery on minors this autumn, becoming the first hospital in Finland to offer the treatment to children and adolescents with severe obesity.
The procedure, which alters the digestive system to support weight loss, has previously been reserved for adults in Finland. In neighbouring Sweden, such operations have been performed on young people for more than a decade.
Chief physician Paulina Salminen said preparations are underway to begin the surgeries in early autumn. The number of patients will remain low. She estimated that between 10 and 20 minors across Finland will receive the operation in the coming year.
“This treatment is intended for only a small subset of that patient group, but for that small group it is critical,” Salminen said.
She explained that all eligible patients will have already undergone unsuccessful attempts at lifestyle and medical interventions. Bariatric surgery is considered only after other treatment options have failed.
The decision marks a shift in Finland’s approach to treating paediatric obesity, which public health officials have identified as a growing concern.
Figures published by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) show that around 25 percent of boys and nearly 20 percent of girls in Finland were overweight or obese in 2023.
Medical studies have linked severe obesity in adolescence to higher rates of cardiovascular mortality later in life. Bariatric surgery has been shown in some cases to reduce long-term health risks associated with morbid obesity.
Sweden, which has a longer history of paediatric bariatric procedures, performs around 50 such surgeries each year.
In Finland, the surgeries will initially be concentrated in Turku, but Salminen said other hospitals may join the programme later this year.
The operations are carried out under strict medical criteria. Candidates are assessed for their physical and psychological readiness, and the long-term implications of surgery are explained to both patients and their families.
Salminen said that while the measure addresses only a small group of individuals, it represents an important option for those with no other effective path to recovery.
HT
