Insight into the history and trends of surgical simulation training in education: a bibliometric analysis

Surgical simulation training enables surgeons to acquire clinical experience or skills from the operating room to the simulation environment. Historically, it has changed with advances in science and technology. Moreover, no previous study has analyzed this field from the bibliometric analysis dimension. The study aimed to review changes in surgical simulation training worldwide using bibliometric software.

Two searches were performed on the core collection database, Web of Science, regarding data from 1991 to the end of 2020 using three topic words (surgery, training, and simulation). From 1 January 2000, to 15 May 2022, the keyword 'robotic' was added for the hotspot exploration. The data were chiefly analyzed by publication date, country, author(s), and keywords using bibliometric software.

A total of 5285 articles were initially analyzed, from which it was clear that laparoscopic skill, three-dimensional printing, and virtual reality were the main focuses during those study periods. Subsequently, 348 publications on robotic surgery training were identified.

This study systematically summarizes the current status in the field of surgical simulation training and provides insights into the research focuses and future hotspot in a global context.