Finnish woman undergoes obesity surgery after years of failed weight-loss medication

After decades of struggling with weight-loss drugs that provided no lasting solution, 60-year-old Alisa Myöhänen has undergone obesity surgery—the only permanent treatment for severe obesity, according to doctors, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

Myöhänen, from Tampere, had long resisted the idea of surgery, believing she should manage her weight on her own. “I gained the kilos myself, so I should be the one to lose them,” she previously thought. But after years of medication that either failed or caused unbearable side effects, she opted for the procedure.

Her case reflects a broader trend in Finland, where the explosive growth in weight-loss drug use—with over 100,000 users last year, a 16-fold increase in five years—has not reduced the need for surgery. Instead, it has reinforced the understanding that severe obesity is a chronic condition requiring medical intervention, says Paulina Salminen, one of Finland’s leading obesity surgeons.

“Weight-loss drugs have helped patients and doctors realize that severe obesity isn’t the individual’s fault—it’s a chronic disease that needs treatment,” Salminen explains. She has performed over 1,000 such surgeries and notes that while medications can aid short-term weight loss, they rarely offer a permanent fix. Studies show about 65% of users stop within a year due to side effects, high costs (up to hundreds of euros monthly), or supply issues.

Surgery, however, remains the most effective long-term solution. Salminen estimates that while obesity surgery costs around €9,000 per patient at Turku University Hospital (Tyks), it becomes more cost-effective than lifelong medication within a year. Yet demand far outstrips availability: only 1,800 surgeries were performed nationwide last year, though 3,000–4,000 patients likely need them.

Stigma and misinformation persist as major barriers. “The biggest issue is the lack of awareness that severe obesity is a real chronic disease—not the patient’s personal failing,” Salminen says. She now proactively discusses treatment options with obese patients, even if they seek care for unrelated issues. Many post-surgery patients regret not pursuing it sooner.

Myöhänen, now recovering, hopes her openness about the procedure will encourage others. “This shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of,” she says. Meanwhile, surgical techniques continue to improve, such as reinforced stitching in gastric bypass to prevent internal hernias.

Finland primarily uses two laparoscopic methods: sleeve gastrectomy (stomach reduction) or gastric bypass. At Tyks, surgeons typically perform four operations a day, with most patients discharged the following morning.