Global research trends and thematic evolution in robot-assisted ureteral reconstructive surgery: a bibliometric and...

Robot-assisted ureteral reconstructive surgery (RAURS) has become an increasingly important approach for ureteral stricture disease, ureteral injury, ureteral reimplantation, ureteroplasty, and other complex reconstructive scenarios. However, the global publication profile, knowledge structure, and developmental trajectory of RAURS remain insufficiently characterised from a bibliometric perspective. This study aimed to delineate publication patterns, scholarly output, collaboration networks, co-citation-based knowledge domains, and emerging research interests in RAURS. RAURS-related records were systematically searched in the Web of Science Core Collection from 1 January 2000 to 31 January 2026. Eligible records were limited to English-language original articles and reviews indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded or Social Sciences Citation Index. Bibliometric and visualisation analyses were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and Scimago Graphica. The analytical framework covered publication and citation trends, country, institutional, author, and journal contributions, highly cited articles, co-citation structures, keyword co-occurrence, cluster analysis, burst detection, and timeline-based thematic evolution. The final dataset comprised 395 eligible publications, including 321 original research articles and 74 review papers. Before 2010, RAURS-related publication activity remained relatively sparse; it then increased steadily and accelerated noticeably in the most recent years, with the highest annual output recorded in 2025. The United States ranked first in both research productivity and citation impact, while China demonstrated the strongest upward trajectory in recent publication growth. Among institutions, Peking University contributed the largest number of publications, whereas the Journal of Endourology was the most frequently represented source journal. Citation and co-citation analyses indicated that the knowledge base of RAURS was shaped mainly by robotic ureteral reimplantation, paediatric vesicoureteral reflux surgery, adult ureteral stricture reconstruction, and procedure-specific technical refinement. Keyword, clustering, burst-term, and timeline analyses revealed a thematic transition from early feasibility-oriented and paediatric reimplantation studies towards broader adult reconstructive applications, including ureteral stricture repair, ureteral injury, robotic ureteroplasty, buccal mucosa graft ureteroplasty, and complex minimally invasive reconstruction. RAURS research has expanded substantially over the past two decades and has evolved into a broader reconstructive field involving both paediatric and adult ureteral surgery. Current academic influence remains concentrated in several leading countries, high-volume centres, and urology-focused journals. Future multicentre studies with longer follow-up, standardised outcome definitions, and comparative designs are needed to clarify the clinical role of RAURS in contemporary reconstructive urology.