Development and frontier trends of pancreaticojejunostomy over the past 26 years: bibliometric and visual analysis.

Abstract

Background: Despite continuous advancements in pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) techniques, there remains a lack of unified clinical guidelines for anastomosis selection. To date, bibliometric analysis has not yet been applied to systematically characterize the global development of PJ research. Accordingly, this study aimed to perform comprehensive bibliometric and visual analysis to clarify the developmental trajectory, research hotspots and emerging frontiers.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) for English-language original research and reviews on PJ published from January 1, 2000, to May 1, 2026. Bibliometric and visual analyses were performed using CiteSpace 6.4 R1, VOSviewer 1.6.20, Bibliometrix 4.1, and Scimago Graphica to characterize publication trends, research collaboration networks (country, institution, author), journal distribution, keyword co-occurrence, clustering, and citation burst characteristics.

Results: A total of 3,329 eligible studies were included. PJ-related publications showed a continuous upward trend with a marked surge over the past 26 years. Japan, the United States and China were the most prolific countries. The United States, Italy, and Germany exhibited stronger international collaboration and higher citation impact. Zhejiang University, Sichuan University, and the University of Verona were the leading contributing institutions, with the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, and Mayo Clinic emerging as core nodes in the global collaboration network. The largest author collaboration cluster was led by Claudio Bassi, Roberto Salvia, and Giovanni Marchegiani (University of Verona). Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hepato-Gastroenterology, and HPB were the primary journals for knowledge dissemination, and interdisciplinary integration with molecular biology, genetics, and computational science was increasingly prominent. Pancreatic fistula was the most frequent and core keyword, and citation burst and trend analysis revealed that current and future research hotspots focus on international standardized definitions, risk stratification tools, and clinical application of robot-assisted technology.

Conclusions: PJ research has experienced progressive development from technical exploration to standardized norms and further to precision innovation over the past 26 years, with postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) prevention and management as the enduring core theme. International cooperation, technological innovation, and interdisciplinary integration are the key driving forces for PJ development. Future PJ research should focus on strengthening international multicenter collaboration, developing personalized risk assessment strategies, advancing robot-assisted anastomotic techniques, and promoting the popularization of advanced PJ technologies in resource-limited regions.