Robotic surgery in the application of gallstones and related diseases: a 26-year bibliometric analysis and emerging research trends.

Robotic cholecystectomy has emerged as an important minimally invasive option for gallstone disease, yet the rapid expansion and scattered distribution of related research may present challenges for researchers in identifying knowledge gaps and future directions. Bibliometric analysis offers a systematic and quantitative approach to summarize research output, hotspots, and trends within a field. All eligible publications included in this study were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, covering papers published between 2000 and 2025 that focus on robot-assisted surgery for the treatment of gallstones and related diseases. Two bibliometric software programs, VOSviewer 1.6.20 and CiteSpace 6.4.R2, were adopted to conduct multiple analyses, including author collaboration analysis, co-citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence analysis. Meanwhile, the built-in keyword burst detection module of CiteSpace was used to accurately identify mainstream research hotspots and emerging frontier directions in this field. Furthermore, we applied the dual-map overlay function of CiteSpace to explore the interdisciplinary characteristics of this research field and identify its core journals. A total of 126 qualified papers contributed by 685 scholars affiliated with 248 institutes in 35 nations were enrolled in this research. Bibliometric tendency analysis indicated a consistent growing tendency of yearly publications. In particular, the output of pertinent literatures experienced a dramatic boost after 2021, hitting two maximum output points in 2023 and 2025 separately. National-level bibliometric analysis indicated that the United States dominates global research productivity regarding robotic surgery for biliary calculi and associated biliary diseases. A total of 40 publications originating from the U.S. were included, accounting for 31.7% of all eligible literature, with an aggregate citation count of 1230 and ranking first worldwide. China, the United Kingdom, Italy, South Korea, and Turkey sequentially constituted the leading contributing countries in this field. At the institutional level, the University Hospitals of Geneva produced the highest volume of relevant research outputs. Author productivity analysis identified Buchs, Nicolas C., Hagen, Monika E., and Morel, Philippe as the most prolific scholars who have substantially advanced research on robotic biliary surgery. In terms of publication channels, Surgical Endoscopy and Other Interventional Techniques and Asian Journal of Surgery represented the primary academic journals for publications concerning robotic applications in biliary stone disease management. Keyword cluster analysis categorized the research landscape into four core thematic domains: robotic surgery, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, cholecystectomy, and postoperative care after cholecystectomy. Keyword trend analysis reveals that research priorities have gradually shifted from conventional laparoscopic management of gallstones to robotic surgical intervention. Looking ahead, with continuous upgrades of robotic platforms, optimized surgical training frameworks and accumulated clinical experience, research focus is expected to progressively turn to multidimensional assessments of perioperative outcomes. Over the past 26 years, the research focus on gallstones management has gradually shifted from conventional laparoscopic surgery toward robotic surgical intervention. Looking forward, with continuous upgrades of robotic systems, optimized surgical training frameworks and accumulating clinical experience, research priorities are anticipated to transition toward multidimensional assessments of perioperative outcomes.