Emerging Trends in Robotic Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

Robotic metabolic and bariatric surgery (RMBS) is a novel method for the management of severe obesity by integrating ergonomic precision of advanced robotic technology with traditional weight loss surgery benefits. The current study used a bibliometric analysis to explore research trends in RMBS both locally and globally.

The research searched the Web of Science using the keywords "robotic" and "metabolic" or "bariatric surgery," including articles published until December 31, 2023. The analysis utilized Rayyan and Bibliometric tools in R Studio and included 265 articles from 51 different journals.

The results revealed:

• RMBS research has shown a significant annual growth rate of 21.96% from 2003 to 2023, averaging 12.6 publications per year, with a strong correlation (R2 = 0.94) between publication year and article count. 
• The mean number of citations per document was 13.25, and about 90% of the journals fell into zone 3 of the Bradford classification. 
• International collaboration was noted in 10.57% of the studies, primarily involving the University of California and the University of Illinois. 
• The leading countries for corresponding authors were the USA, China, and Switzerland.

To summarize, since the initial publications in 2003, research output in RMBS has shown a steady growth. However, it has yet to achieve the same level of volume, impact, and international collaboration as non-robotic metabolic and bariatric surgery studies, indicating further potential for exploration in this field.

Source: Rivero-Moreno, Y., Corzo, M.P., Goyal, A. et al. Scientific production on robotic metabolic and bariatric surgery: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis on its current world status. J Robotic Surg.2024;18(384). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11701-024-02135-x