[Portuguese Association of Arrhythmology, Pacing and Electrophysiology (APAPE). National Registry of Interventional Electrophysiology for 1999].

Based on data supplied by the centres that execute Interventional Electrophysiology in Portugal, the authors performed a survey of the electrophysiological studies, with or without associated catheter ablation. This report quantifies the experience of all centres, as well as with different classes of ablation techniques. Furthermore, the authors performed a survey of implanted cardiovertor defibrillators, distinguishing their distribution among the different centres. They conclude that the number of centres that practice Interventional Arrhythmias in Portugal is continuously increasing, as well as the number of catheter ablations performed, although these rates have somewhat stabilised in the last year. The number of implanted cardiovertor defibrillators has also grown yearly since 1992, with a 24% increase last year, but is not yet close to the European average of implants per million of inhabitants.