From scalpel to console: a bibliometric and knowledge-mapping analysis of robot-assisted cholangiocarcinoma surgery

To systematically evaluate the global research landscape of robot-assisted cholangiocarcinoma surgery (RAC) using bibliometric and knowledge-mapping methods. Literature related to RAC was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection from database inception to December 31, 2025. Only English-language articles and reviews were included. Data extraction was performed independently by two investigators. Bibliometric and visualization analyses were conducted using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R software, focusing on publication trends, countries, institutions, authors, journals, keyword co-occurrence, and co-cited references. A total of 162 publications were included. The number of publications showed an overall increasing trend, particularly after 2020. The United States (49 publications) and China (35 publications) were the leading contributing countries. Institutional and author analyses identified several core productive groups, with limited cross-national collaboration observed. Keyword analysis indicated that research mainly focused on radical resection, survival outcomes, robotic liver surgery, and hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Co-citation and burst analyses showed that recent studies have increasingly focused on robotic hepatectomy and perioperative outcomes. RAC research has increased in recent years, with growing academic interest and evolving research themes. However, the field remains relatively early in development, and further studies are needed to support more comprehensive evidence and broader collaboration.