The 50 most-cited primary studies in penile prosthesis surgery: An all-time bibliometric analysis

Penile prosthesis (PP) surgery represents a cornerstone intervention for erectile dysfunction (ED). Despite extensive literature, the most-cited primary studies across the full history of the field have not been comprehensively characterized. We aimed to identify and evaluate the 50 most-cited primary studies in PP surgery, describing citation trends, research themes, and academic contributions using bibliometric methods. The Web of Science Core Collection was searched from database inception through 21 April 2025 using predefined PP-related terms. Study design and level of evidence were independently assessed by two reviewers using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) framework, with disagreements resolved by consensus. The 50 studies (1977-2017) accrued 5652 citations (median, 105; range, 75-215). Most were retrospective observational studies (82.0%) and were assigned Level 4 evidence (56.0%). The Journal of Urology published 28 studies (56.0%). Steven K. Wilson was the most prolific contributor, authoring or co-authoring 10 studies. Non-mutually exclusive themes included surgical outcomes (n = 38), infection (n = 12), and special populations (n = 6). The findings describe the historical development of PP research and highlight the continued need for geographically diverse, prospective, and higher-quality studies.