Emerging trends in endoscopy and virtual reality from 1991 to 2024: A bibliometric analysis

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising technology in endoscopic procedures, though the research landscape remains fragmented across multiple domains. This study aims to analyze the evolution and current state of VR applications in endoscopic medicine through bibliometric analysis.

Publications from 1991 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using a systematic search strategy. Multiple bibliometric tools, including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix," were utilized to analyze publication trends, research collaborations, and emerging themes.

A total of 540 articles were included, showing consistent growth, with peak publication activity identified in 2019. The greatest number of publications were from the United States (n = 152), followed by Japan (n = 43) and China (n = 41). The University of Toronto emerged as the most prolific institution in terms of publication volume in this field. Author De Suvranu had the highest total publications and fractional publication count. Surgical Endoscopy and Other Interventional Techniques was the most influential journal, contributing 70 articles. Keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed five research clusters: clinical applications, training assessment tools, performance measurement, procedural training, and validation frameworks. Among the most frequent keywords were "performance," "skills," and "validation." Emerging trends include augmented reality, navigation systems, and validation frameworks.

This bibliometric analysis provides the first comprehensive mapping of endoscopic VR research, revealing distinct research clusters and emerging trends. Key priorities include standardized assessment protocols and integrating mixed-reality surgical guidance into endoscopic medicine.