Scientific evolution of robotic surgery in urogenital diseases: bibliometric analysis

Robotic surgery has revolutionized modern medicine, particularly in urology, by enhancing surgical precision through advanced visualization, motion scaling, and tremor filtration. As a result, robotic-assisted surgery has become the standard of care for complex procedures, such as radical prostatectomy, with demonstrated benefits in reducing complications and improving clinical outcomes. Despite the rapid evolution of this field, no comprehensive bibliometric analysis has systematically evaluated its scientific trajectory, research trends, and international collaboration. A cross-sectional bibliometric study was conducted using Scopus as the primary data source. A semi-structured search strategy incorporating MeSH terms and synonyms was applied to identify publications related to robotic surgery in urogenital diseases. Data were exported, standardized, and analyzed using Bibliometrix (R 4.3.1) for bibliometric and network analyses. A total of 3506 publications (1993-2024) were included, with 79.2% original articles and 11.6% reviews. The United States (n = 1388) led the scientific production, followed by Italy (n = 389) and Japan (n = 285). The research predominantly focused on prostate tumors, clinical outcomes, and surgical complications, while recent trends highlighted growing interest in robot-assisted total cystectomy. The exponential growth of robotic surgery research aligns with its increasing clinical adoption. However, regional disparities persist, emphasizing the need to expand scientific contributions from high-volume surgical centers. Promoting global research collaboration will further consolidate robotic surgery as a fundamental tool in urological practice.