Implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators – contacts per 1,000 inhabitants
Discussion
The number of procedures increased by 26% over the period, from 4,300 in 2016 to 5,400 in 2025. The rate per 1,000 inhabitants remained stable for women during the same period, and showed a slight increase for men. The rise in the number of procedures can largely be attributed to an ageing population. Male patients accounted for approximately 65% of the procedures in 2025. The average age at implantation of a pacemaker or defibrillator was 76 years in 2025.
There is moderate geographic variation in the number of procedures; the catchment areas with the highest rates perform nearly twice as many procedures per 1,000 inhabitants compared with the areas with the lowest rates. The catchment areas of Nord‑Trøndelag, St. Olav, Førde, UNN, Finnmark and Innlandet HF consistently have low rates, while the catchment areas of OUS and Lovisenberg HF consistently have high rates.
Nationwide in 2025, 74% of procedures were standard pacemakers, 14% were biventricular pacemakers (CRT), and nearly 12% were implantable cardioverter‑defibrillators (ICD). While the national rate for standard pacemakers has remained stable over the period, the rate for ICDs has declined. The rate for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) increased, but then returned to the 2016 level by 2025.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) for somatic specialist healthcare services. The data includes activity in public hospitals. Data from private hospitals providing publicly funded services and contracted specialists are not included, as this treatment is only offered in public hospitals.
The sample consists of procedures with the codes FPK10A, FPK13A, FPK16A, FPK20A, FPK23A, FPK30A, FPK33A, FPK36A, or FPK40A in hospitals.
The analyses distinguish between regular pacemakers, biventricular pacemakers (CRT, cardiac resynchronization therapy) with or without defibrillator function, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD). Regular pacemakers are defined by the procedure codes FPK10A, FPK13A, and FPK16A. Biventricular pacemakers (CRT) are defined by the procedure codes FPK20A, FPK23A, FPK36A, and FPK40A. Defibrillators (ICD) are defined by the procedure codes FPK30A and FPK33A.
Replacement and removal of pacemakers, batteries, or electrodes are not included in this analysis.
Where the patient is treated is divided into two categories:
Own HF, treated at one of the hospitals in the catchment area Other HF, treated at a hospital outside the catchment area
To compare catchment areas and between years, the rates are adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment is made using the direct method with the country's population in 2023 as the reference population.
In graphs with patient‑aggregated data, the numbers are adjusted to avoid double‑counting patients. The actual number of patients is therefore higher when looking at a single variable for a focus area. For example, patients who have received both private and public treatment during a year are counted only once in total, which means that the number of patients in private treatment will be underreported.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.