Research evolution and clinical positioning of robot-assisted simple prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia:...

Robot-assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) is increasingly considered for men with large-volume benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), yet its place alongside endoscopic enucleation and other simple prostatectomy approaches remains unsettled. To characterize how the evidence base has developed, we mapped English-language RASP publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection through 18 June 2026. Records were analyzed with Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and SCImago Graphica to describe publication growth, contributor and collaboration patterns, citation foundations, and changing research themes. The dataset contained 156 publications (131 articles and 25 reviews) issued between 2008 and 2026. Output accelerated after 2020 and reached 27 papers in 2025. The United States and Italy occupied central positions in production and collaboration; the expansion of Asian contributions was less closely connected internationally. Early work focused on procedural feasibility and technique. Later research increasingly examined high-volume institutional experience, comparative perioperative outcomes, and RASP in relation to open or laparoscopic simple prostatectomy and holmium laser enucleation. Correspondingly, recent keywords centered on procedural implementation, perioperative evaluation, and BPH-specific surgical decision-making. These bibliometric patterns indicate where research attention has concentrated but do not establish comparative effectiveness, long-term durability, cost-effectiveness, or patient-level benefit. Multicenter comparative studies with harmonized patient-centered and durability endpoints are needed to clarify the clinical role of RASP.