- Twenty DATO-certified centres perform all weight loss surgery in the Netherlands.
- Standard: at least two specialised surgeons and over 200 procedures a year.
- Largest centre in 2024: WeightWorks Clinics with 1,598 primary procedures.
- Gastric balloon: among others Vitalys and Zuyderland; not reimbursed.
- Check whether your insurer has contracted the centre.
What is an obesity clinic?
An obesity clinic or bariatric centre treats severe obesity with a multidisciplinary team: surgeon, internist, psychologist, dietitian and often a lifestyle coach or physiotherapist. To perform weight loss surgery, a clinic must take part in the national DATO register of the Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing and meet the standards of the Dutch Society for Surgery.
Some clinics also offer non-surgical treatments, such as a gastric balloon, weight loss medication or a lifestyle programme. Vitalys (part of Rijnstate) and Zuyderland (with the Nederlandse Obesitas Kliniek) are examples.
How to recognise a good clinic
Look at four things: DATO participation and volume, a complete team, an aftercare pathway of at least five years, and contracting by your insurer. The DATO register also measures a textbook outcome per centre, the share of patients for whom everything went to plan; in 2024 it ranged from 89 to 99 percent per centre.
Surgery or balloon: which clinic for whom?
If you meet the criteria for surgery (BMI 40, or 35 with conditions), choose a DATO centre; your GP refers you and the pathway is covered. If you are looking for a gastric balloon, it is a self-pay treatment from a BMI of about 27 to 30. Note that the Nederlandse Obesitas Kliniek stopped offering the balloon because it considers medication more effective.
Treatment abroad is often faster, but Vitalys warns that lifestyle guidance and aftercare are usually missing there; it sees more and more patients seeking help after surgery abroad.
What to look for when choosing
Advantages
| Advantage | Explanation |
|---|---|
| DATO centre | certified, volume checked, covered |
| High volume | more experience per team |
| Close to home | less travel for five years of aftercare |
| Online information session | free at most centres |
Points of attention
| Point of attention | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Contracting | without a contract a natura policy often pays only part |
| Waiting time | differs per centre and period |
| Commercial balloon clinics | not covered; compare what is included |
| Abroad | aftercare and guidance often missing |
Cost and insurance (2026)
At a contracted DATO centre you pay only your deductible for surgery. A gastric balloon you pay entirely yourself.
| Item | Amount or arrangement |
|---|---|
| Surgery, contracted centre | €385 deductible |
| Self-pay surgery (WeightWorks 2026) | €10,700 all-in |
| Gastric balloon Vitalys | €3,995 + €65 intake |
| Gastric balloon range 2026 | about €3,000-€5,000 |
Obesity clinics: key figures
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| DATO centres | 20 |
| Largest centre 2024 | WeightWorks Clinics, 1,598 procedures |
| Smallest volume 2024 | NOK Terneuzen, 203 procedures |
| Textbook outcome per centre | 89-99% |
| Serious complications nationally | 1.4% |
Twenty centres across the country
| Region | DATO centres | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Noord-Holland | OLVG, Spaarne Gasthuis, NOK Beverwijk | Amsterdam, Haarlem, Beverwijk |
| Zuid-Holland | Maasstad, Franciscus, NOK Den Haag, Albert Schweitzer | Rotterdam, The Hague, Dordrecht |
| Central | St. Antonius, WeightWorks, Flevoziekenhuis | Utrecht region, Amersfoort, Almere |
| East and North | Rijnstate, ISG Rivierenland, ZGT, Frisius MC | Arnhem, Tiel, Almelo, Leeuwarden |
| South | Catharina, Máxima MC, ETZ, NOK Heerlen, BCZWN, NOK Terneuzen | Eindhoven, Tilburg, Heerlen |
Step by step
- Choose your step. Surgery or a non-surgical treatment?
- Check your policy. Which centres are contracted?
- Compare centres. Volume, distance, waiting time, English support.
- Referral. Your GP refers you to the chosen centre.
- Information session. Attend the centre's session.
Read next
- All 20 centres with 2024 volumes — the English home page
- The pathway at a clinic — step by step
- Gastric balloon clinics — cost and results
- Cost and insurance — coverage
Questions to ask at the intake
Ask which operations the centre performs itself and how often, because not every centre does a mini bypass or SADI. Ask about waiting times for screening and surgery, how aftercare is organised and whether part of the check-ups can be done online; that saves a lot of travel over five years.
As an international patient, also ask which information and group sessions are available in English, whether an interpreter can join, and what happens if you are turned down after screening, including whether the costs count towards your deductible.
Frequently asked questions about obesity clinics
There is no official ranking. All twenty DATO centres meet the same minimum standards and are followed in the national register. Compare volume, distance, waiting time, contracting by your insurer and how the information session suits you.
Twenty DATO-certified centres, together responsible for all weight loss surgery in the Netherlands. University medical centres are generally not among them.
Among others at Vitalys (Rijnstate), at Zuyderland (the swallowable Elipse balloon) and at commercial clinics such as YourWeightcare. The Nederlandse Obesitas Kliniek no longer offers it.
For covered surgery always, from your GP or a specialist. For a self-pay balloon often not, although some clinics ask for information from your GP.
The Dutch Audit for Treatment of Obesity, the national register of the Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing. All centres report their data, so complications and results are followed per centre.
Yes, as long as your insurer covers the centre. Keep the aftercare in mind: at least five years of check-ups, with the first year the most intensive.
Vitalys advises against simply choosing the fastest option. Abroad, lifestyle guidance and aftercare are often missing, and complications then have to be treated in the Netherlands.
WeightWorks Clinics in Amersfoort, with 1,598 primary procedures in 2024 according to the DATO annual report.
It differs per centre and period. Some clinics state on their website that there is hardly any waiting time for screening; ask when you register.
Most doctors and nurses speak good English, but group sessions and written materials are often in Dutch. Ask the centre in advance what it offers in English.
Call +31 6 38048347 (Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00) or email info@maagverkleining-info.nl. This page is also available in Dutch.
Sources
- DATO Annual Report 2024, DICA
- Vitalys (Rijnstate): balloon, surgery, FAQ
- Zuyderland: bariatrics and obesity
- Nederlandse Obesitas Kliniek: discontinuation of the balloon
- WeightWorks: prices 2026
Search terms leading here: obesity clinic Netherlands, bariatric centre Netherlands, best weight loss surgery clinic Netherlands, gastric balloon clinic Netherlands.
Author: Gijs Bodenstaff. Last reviewed: September 2026.