Global research trends in robotic coronary artery bypass grafting: a bibliometric analysis

Background: Robotic coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has gained increasing attention as a minimally invasive approach to coronary revascularization. This study aimed to characterize the global research landscape, publication trends, and thematic evolution of robotic CABG through bibliometric analysis.

Methods: Publications related to robotic CABG were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus databases, covering the period from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2025. After data merging and deduplication, bibliometric analyses were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the Bibliometrix R package. Annual publication trends, contributions by authors, institutions, countries, journal distribution, collaboration networks, co-citation relationships, and keyword co-occurrence patterns were systematically evaluated.

Results: Research output on robotic CABG increased steadily over time, with more pronounced growth after 2015 and a peak in 2024. Original articles accounted for the largest proportion of publications. The United States was the leading contributor and the main hub of international collaboration, followed by Austria and Germany, while China showed increasing productivity in recent years. Key journals included Annals of Thoracic Surgery and Innovations. Thematic evolution demonstrated a change from early studies focused on technical feasibility toward later research emphasizing minimally invasive revascularization strategies and clinical outcomes including mortality, graft patency, survival, and quality of life.

Conclusions: Robotic CABG research has expanded substantially over the past three decades, with its focus gradually changing from technical development to clinical outcome assessment. However, the evidence base remains limited by a predominance of observational studies from specialized centers and a lack of robust randomized comparative data. Future research should prioritize multicenter prospective studies assessing long-term efficacy, patient-reported outcomes, and cost-effectiveness to better define the role of robotic CABG in coronary revascularization.