Chris Oudmaijer, a PhD candidate in the Hoeijmakers group, focused his research on the effects of short-term fasting prior to surgery. He investigated whether such a diet could put the body into a 'protective mode,' making it more resilient to the stress of surgery. If effective, fasting could make surgery less taxing for children with kidney tumors and reduce the risk of surgery-related complications.
Safe and effective
‘By eating less for a short period of time, the cells in your body start to use energy more consciously,’ Chris explains. ‘As a result, the body becomes less vulnerable to external stress, such as surgery and anesthesia. That’s the theory—and in my PhD research I indeed found strong indications that a short-term diet can improve treatment outcomes. So far, we know that it’s safe and effective. But the key question is whether children truly benefit from it. To prove that, we need to study a larger group of children. Plans for this follow-up research are currently being developed.’
Honest, resilient, and vulnerable all at once
In addition to children with kidney tumors, Chris also studied the effect of the diet in adults with benign liver tumors at Erasmus MC and in adults donating a kidney for transplantation at UMC Groningen. The research involving children at the Máxima Center was a valuable and eye-opening addition, he shares. ‘Children are honest, resilient, and vulnerable all at once,’ Chris says. ‘As soon as they feel better after surgery, they get out of bed and start playing. I admire that, just as I admire the willingness of parents and children to participate in research. Pre-surgery fasting demands something extra from families, so we gave careful thought to the practical side. For instance, by scheduling surgery early in the morning, most of the fasting period could happen overnight.’
Chris found that reliably researching dietary interventions is quite challenging. That was underlined through a humorous study he conducted, which made it into the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal.
A valuable experience
Chris now works as a surgical resident—first at IJsselland Hospital in Capelle aan den IJssel, and currently at Amphia Hospital in Breda. He reflects: ‘The things I learned at the Máxima Center, from how to approach children to treating them as the ones in charge, I still use every day. I notice that a visit to the emergency room, for example, becomes far less scary for kids when you take the right approach with them.’
What does the future hold for him? ‘I hope to start surgical training, so alongside preparing for my PhD defense, I’m getting ready for the application process. I’ll also stay involved with the Máxima and the research—I remain fascinated by the question of whether dietary restriction can improve treatment for children with kidney tumors, and I’ll continue to mentor the next researcher.’
Chris Oudmaijer defended his PhD thesis on Wednesday, April 9, at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.