A Bibliometric Analysis of the Most Influential and Impactful Plastic Surgery Publications From Saudi Arabia

To analyze the most cited plastic surgery articles from Saudi Arabia, focusing on publication trends, leading contributors, collaboration patterns, and thematic areas.

We conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science Core Collection (1990-2025). Keywords covering plastic surgery subfields were combined with geographic identifiers ("Saudi Arabia," "KSA," "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia") using Boolean operators. Only English-language original and review articles were included. Citation metrics, authorship networks, and keyword co-occurrence were analyzed with VOSviewer and the bibliometrix R package.

We identified 1,013 Saudi-affiliated plastic surgery publications, receiving 7,929 citations. The top 100 most-cited articles averaged 39.3 citations (range: 19-283). King Saud University was the leading institution, contributing 59 articles. Dr. Mohammad M. Al-Qattan was the most prolific author, with first authorship on 52 publications. Hand surgery dominated the thematic spectrum (36%), followed by peripheral nerve (14%) and aesthetic surgery (12%). International collaboration occurred in 21 articles (22.8%), mainly with the United States and Canada. Nearly half of the studies (49%) were Level IV evidence.

Saudi Arabia has achieved a notable presence in plastic surgery literature, especially in hand and peripheral nerve surgery. However, the concentration of authorship and reliance on lower-level evidence highlight the need for broader collaboration, prospective study designs, and greater methodological rigor to strengthen future contributions.