The Top 100 Cited Articles on Bariatric Surgery: A Bibliometric Analysis

Bariatric surgery (BS) is widely recognized as an effective intervention for obesity and related metabolic diseases; however, bibliometric analyses of the bariatric surgery literature remain scarce. This study aims to identify and analyze the top 100 most cited articles (T100) in BS to map research trends and influential contributions.

A comprehensive literature search on BS was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection database. Through keyword searches and subsequent manual screening, the T100 articles were identified. These were then analyzed bibliometrically using software tools such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix, with data organized in Microsoft Excel.

As of July 2024, the total citation count for the T100 articles reached 110,623. These papers were published between 2000 and 2021, spanning 46 journals, with the New England Journal of Medicine publishing the most articles (n = 13). 60% of the articles were published in the 2010s, and 68% originated from the United States, with Harvard University being the leading institution, contributing 16 papers. Philip R. Schauer and Sjöström Lars authored 7 and 6 papers, respectively. Among the T100 articles, 89 were classified as Level 1 or 2 evidence. The articles related to surgical procedures included 40 on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), 20 on sleeve gastrectomy (SG), and 14 on adjustable gastric banding. Additionally, 36 articles addressed the treatment of related metabolic complications, including 16 on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), 14 on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and 4 on cardiovascular disease.

This study systematically analyzed the T100 most-cited articles on BS reveals a dominant contribution from the United States, with a focus on RYGB and SG procedures. These studies demonstrate significant efficacy in treating obesity, T2DM, and NAFLD. However, long-term outcomes and complications require further validation through large-scale prospective research.