Adults

Approximately 5 000 tonsil operations are performed annually on patients aged 16 and older. The number of operations per year was increasing in the period before the pandemic, peaking in 2019 with nearly 6 000 operations. In 2023, 5 000 operations were performed.

There is significant geographical variation in operation rates, with the areas with the highest rates performing about twice as many tonsil operations per 1 000 inhabitants compared to the areas with the lowest rates.

Women are operated on more frequently than men, and the average age at the time of surgery is about two years lower for women (26 years in 2023) than for men (28 years in 2023). The average age has decreased over the period for both men and women. The reduction in the rate for the Bergen catchment area from 2022 to 2023 is likely due to a lack of reporting from contracted specialists in 2023.