The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientific publications in the field of hernia surgery: a brief bibliometric analysis.

purposeThe aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic to the publication activity in herniology.

methodsA PubMed search was used to perform a comprehensive search of the scientific literature each year between 2010 and 2024 by using key words as “inguinal hernia,”“umbilical hernia,” “incisional hernia,” “laparoscopic inguinal hernia,” “laparoscopic incisional hernia,” “robotic inguinal hernia,” and “robotic ventral hernia.” The analysis was done both annually and across three consecutive 5-year intervals: 2010–2014 [Period A], 2015–2019 [Period B], and 2020–2024 [Period C]. Period C, which corresponds to the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, was also searched for the publications about inguinal and ventral hernias which were related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

resultsA total of more than 40,000 hernia-related publications were identified between 2010 and 2024. Publication activity demonstrated an overall upward trajectory, with notable shifts in thematic focus over time. The most frequently retrieved keywords were inguinal hernia, hernia mesh, and incisional hernia. Publications on inguinal hernia increased from 3,172 in 2010 to 4,525 in 2020, representing a 1.43-fold increase. Similarly, hernia mesh publications rose from 2,847 to 4,410 (1.55-fold), and incisional hernia publications nearly doubled from 1,187 to 2,336 (1.97-fold). Topics related to minimally invasive and robotic techniques exhibited the most pronounced fold increases. During the pandemic, publication activity in hernia research continued to grow up to 2021 but experienced a temporary slowdown between 2021 and 2022. In negative binomial regression models adjusting only for calendar year, no statistically significant association was observed between the COVID-19 period and overall publication volume (IRR = 1.02, 95% CI [0.47, 2.15]). After adjustment for calendar year and publication topic, the COVID-19 period was associated with a modest but statistically significant increase in publication volume (IRR = 1.16, 95% CI [1.01, 1.33], p = .037). In addition, a significant positive secular trend was observed across years (IRR per year = 1.05, 95% CI [1.03, 1.06]).

conclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic did not lead to a dramatic reduction in the overall volume of publications. There was a slight slowdown in the number of papers in certain subjects of hernia surgery, however, in the post-pandemic period publication activity rapidly returned to its pre-pandemic trajectory.