Global research trends and thematic evolution in robot-assisted pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction: a bibliometric and visualization study.

This study aimed to characterise the global research landscape of robot-assisted pyeloplasty (RAP) for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) using bibliometric and visualization methods. We sought to describe trends in publication output, major contributing countries, institutions, authors, and journals, to map thematic evolution over time, and to highlight areas where clinical evidence remains insufficient. Publications on RAP for UPJO from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (Science Citation Index Expanded). A topic search was performed using the formula: TS = (pyeloplast* OR “ureteropelvic junction obstruction” OR UPJO OR “uretero-pelvic junction”) AND TS = (robot* OR “robot-assisted” OR “robotic-assisted” OR “da Vinci”). Only English-language articles and reviews were included. After screening, 805 publications (641 original articles and 164 reviews) were analysed. Microsoft Excel was used to organise basic information and draw time-trend charts. Bibliometrix (R), VOSviewer, CiteSpace and Scimago Graphica were applied to construct networks of countries, institutions, authors, journals, keywords and co-cited references, and to perform co-authorship, co-citation, clustering, timeline and burst-detection analyses. Annual RAP publications were sparse in the early 2000s, increased steadily thereafter, and accelerated after 2015, with a marked rise after 2020. The United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, France and China were the most productive countries, with the United States leading in both volume and citation impact. The University of Chicago, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Harvard University and several major children’s hospitals formed the core institutional contributors. Journal of Endourology, Journal of Pediatric Urology, Journal of Urology and Urology were the primary publication platforms and citation sources. High-frequency keywords clustered around “pyeloplasty”, “ureteropelvic junction obstruction”, “laparoscopy”, “robotic surgery” and “children”, with thematic evolution from feasibility and perioperative outcomes toward redo and complex cases, combined pyeloplasty and pyelolithotomy, learning curves and long-term functional and imaging follow-up. Global research on RAP for UPJO has expanded rapidly and is largely driven by a limited number of high-volume centres and specialist journals, indicating that robotic pyeloplasty has become an established option in specialised paediatric and reconstructive practice. However, the evidence base is still dominated by single-centre retrospective cohorts, and robust data on long-term renal function, patient-reported outcomes and cost-effectiveness remain limited. Future work should prioritise multicentre registries and prospective collaborative studies with harmonised endpoints and stratified analyses, and critically evaluate emerging technologies such as single-port systems, fluorescence guidance and three-dimensional reconstruction in real-world settings.