Research status and hotspots in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts based on CiteSpace bibliometric analysis.

Background: The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is an important technique for treating complications related to portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis, and the number of publications in the TIPS field continues to rise.

Aim: To facilitate an understanding of the research status and hotspots in the field of TIPS using CiteSpace bibliometric analysis.

Methods: CiteSpace is a software that depicts the strength of relationships through graphics and connections with diverse functionalities and can be used to analyze the status and hotspots of areas of research. Articles on TIPS in the Web of Science Core Collection were retrieved, and CiteSpace software was used to visualize and analyze the number of publications, journals, countries, institutions, authors, keywords, and citations.

Results: A total of 985 relevant documents were included in the analysis. From January 2013 to December 2022, the number of publications increased annually. The journal, institution, and author with the greatest number of publications in the field of TIPS are the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, the University of Bonn, and Jonel Trebicka, respectively. The main keywords used in this field are "transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt", "portal hypertension", "cirrhosis", "management", "stent", "hepatic encephalopathy", "refractory ascite", "survival", "risk", and "variceal bleeding". The greatest obstacle to TIPS placement is currently the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy. The research hotspots are the mechanism, risk factors, management, and control of hepatic encephalopathy.

Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis reported the research status and hotspots of TIPS. Research on postoperative hepatic encephalopathy is the research hotspot in this field.