Global Research Trends and Thematic Evolution in Robotic Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A Bibliometric and...

To systematically identify research trends, collaborative patterns, thematic developments and emerging areas of interest in the field of robotic surgery for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) worldwide, thereby providing an evidence-based foundation for optimising clinical decision-making and formulating research strategies. Using the Web of Science Core Collection database, we retrieved relevant literature on robotic surgery for the treatment of OSA from 2003 to 2026. After deduplication and screening, the data were imported into software such as CiteSpace 7.0 and Origin 2021. We conducted bibliometric and visualisation analyses from multiple dimensions, including publication trends, collaboration networks among countries, institutions and authors, co-occurrence clustering and outlier detection of keywords, and outlier detection of co-cited publications. A total of 167 valid studies were included. The accumulation of domain knowledge exhibited an exponential growth trend (R² = 0.9826), evolving through three distinct phases: an embryonic phase (2003-2011), a rapid growth phase (2012-2016) and a fluctuating stabilisation phase (2017-2026). At the national level, an unbalanced pattern emerged with the United States (63 papers) and Italy (35 papers) as dual cores; the United Kingdom exhibited the highest intermediary centrality (0.69), playing a pivotal linking role in global knowledge flows; at the institutional level, the University of Michigan system and Imperial College London served as core institutions; At the author level, Vicini C and Cammaroto G serve as dual cores, with a network density of 0.3162, forming a highly cohesive niche academic community. Keyword clustering identified nine themes, which can be categorised into four major research dimensions: core procedures (oral robotic surgery, base of tongue and lingual tonsil surgery), precise assessment (drug-induced sleep endoscopy), functional prognosis (voice quality, vital signs monitoring), and cross-applications in head and neck oncology. Detection of prominent terms indicates that the research paradigm is shifting from the early phase of technical feasibility verification and procedural expansion towards a stage of precise integrated perioperative management, characterised by the terms 'management' and 'obstructive sleep apnoea'. Citation analysis reveals that the series of papers published by Vicini C between 2010 and 2014 constitute the core knowledge base of the field, whilst recent high-impact publications by Baptista PM, Lechien JR and others indicate that the current research frontier has shifted towards individualised surgical selection, functional prognosis assessment and multidisciplinary management. The focus of research into robotic surgery for OSA is gradually shifting from proof-of-concept studies towards precision treatment. Future research will concentrate on transoral robotic surgery assisted by artificial intelligence and augmented reality navigation; the expansion of indications to include children and special populations; multi-level combined airway reconstruction; comparative efficacy studies between robotic surgery and neurostimulation techniques; and health economic evaluations based on real-world evidence. This study systematically maps the knowledge landscape and evolutionary trajectory of this field, providing a directional reference for subsequent clinical translation, the optimisation of international collaboration networks, and multidisciplinary cooperation.