A 10-Year Update: Bibliometric Analysis of the Top 100 Papers in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

As the field of metabolic surgery (MS), also known as bariatric surgery, continues to grow and change, especially in light of emerging anti-obesity medications, the need to identify seminal studies within this domain becomes increasingly crucial. This study aims to provide a comprehensive 10-year update on the most frequently cited articles in MS.

Utilizing the SCOPUS database, we identified the top 100 most cited articles in MS as of July 2023. Beyond assessing the most frequently cited works, this study also examines articles with the most citations per year and explores the citation trends.

The average number of citations per article increased from 383.5 in 2014 to 889.5. Forty-four papers from the original top 50 list in 2014 were included in the current list. The year 2004 had the most number in the top 100 (n = 10). While Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) had the highest representation (48%), sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has rapidly risen in interest.

As the landscape of MS expands, the reassessment of top-cited scientific articles becomes imperative for obesity physicians and scientists, metabolic surgeons, fellows, and residents. Many of the articles listed in 2014 persisted in the 10-year update, reflecting the significant growth observed in the MS field during the early 2000s. The increased citation count likely indicates the expanding influence of MS research. Despite RYGB maintaining its status as the most studied procedure, a noticeable uptick in interest in sleeve gastrectomy post-2009 is evident as demonstrated by its increased representation within highly cited publications.