Top 50 most influential publications in robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy

Background

Since the early 2000s, robotic-assisted surgery has evolved in the field of thoracic surgery, and robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy (RAPL) has become a popular and safe treatment method for patients seeking removal of lung cancer. The purpose of the current study was to identify and examine the top-50 most influential articles in RAPL from 2003 to 2021 using bibliometric analysis.

Hypothesis, materials, and methods

The Clarivate Web of Science Core Collection was systematically searched to gather data on RAPL. Descriptive information for each article was collected and reported using descriptive statistics. The terms “robotic” AND “pulmonary” AND “lobectomy” were used to search this database and returned 468 articles published since 2003.

Results

Bibliometric analysis of the top-50 most influential manuscripts concluded that these articles were published between the years 2003 and 2021 and were collectively cited 2476 times. Mean number of total citations per article was 49.5 (95% confidence interval [37.8, 61.2]). The most influential articles experienced greatest increase in citations in 2020 with 450 total citations and an average of 9.0 citations per article. Our analysis demonstrated an increase in total number of citations for RAPL from 2003 to 2021, and 68% of the most cited articles were published after 2016. All 50 articles were published in English, and the United States (32) and the People's Republic of China (6) had the top number of publications. The top affiliation was the University of Michigan with 6 publications. The most popular journals were Annals of Thoracic Surgery and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, with 7 and 6, respectively, of the top 50 manuscripts.

Conclusion

Given the rising popularity of RAPL since 2003, a current list of the most influential articles in RAPL can provide a reference point to guide better practice and address future areas of thoracic research.