Global research trends and frontier evolution in robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy: a bibliometric and...

Robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy is increasingly recognized as an important minimally invasive option for lesions of the pancreatic body and tail. Given the technical complexity inherent to distal pancreatectomy, including deep operative planes, vascular dissection, splenic vessel management, and the persistent risk of postoperative pancreatic fistula, robotic systems may offer specific advantages in selected settings. However, although the number of relevant publications has continued to rise, the overall research landscape and thematic development of this field remain insufficiently and unsystematically characterized. The present study was designed to assess the global research status, knowledge structure, and evolving hotspots in the field of robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy through bibliometric and visualization analysis. A total of 254 eligible publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2025, including 210 articles and 44 reviews, were analyzed using Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Scimago Graphica. The yearly publication output demonstrated a general increasing pattern, with more marked growth from the mid-2010s onward and the highest output recorded in 2025. Italy together with the United States remained the principal contributors across much of the study period, while China showed sustained growth in recent years. The United States ranked first in citation impact. Several institutions, including the University of Amsterdam, University of Verona, and University of Pisa, emerged as major contributors. Among the leading publication venues were Surgical Endoscopy and Other Interventional Techniques, Annals of Surgical Oncology, and Journal of Robotic Surgery. Citation and co-citation analyses showed that the intellectual structure of the field has been shaped mainly by studies focusing on surgical technique, perioperative outcomes, and comparisons with laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy. Keyword analysis indicated that spleen preservation, pancreatic fistula, laparoscopic comparison, learning curve, clinical outcomes, and multicenter evaluation are among the main research themes, with recent attention increasingly directed toward preservation strategies, outcome assessment, and more refined clinical application. In conclusion, research on robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy has expanded steadily and is moving from early feasibility-focused exploration toward a more specialized and clinically oriented stage. Future progress in this field will likely depend on stronger multicenter collaboration, more indication-specific evaluation, and more standardized evidence generation.