Bibliometric Analysis of Hypospadias Research

Research Article

Ann Surg Perioper Care. 2024; 9(2): 1067.

Bibliometric Analysis of Hypospadias Research

Dezhi Su¹; Xiaowei Li¹; Sha Li²; Wang Kun Wang¹; Gangquan Wu¹; Zhai Guomin Zhai¹*

1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China

2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wuhan Fifth Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

*Corresponding author: Guomin Zhai, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong Province, 523000 China. Email: zhgm1016@163.com

Received: November 30, 2024; Accepted: December 18, 2024; Published: December 26, 2024

Abstract

Hypospadias involves abnormal urethral meatus positioning, with varying severity and potential syndromic associations. While surgery is the standard treatment, outcomes often disappoint, impacting physical and mental health. Recent research has heightened attention on its causes and surgical management, leading to a surge in related publications. This study used bibliometric analysis tools (bibliometrix R package, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace) to examine 3,647 publications by 14,633 authors, identifying seven clusters focused on diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment. Key research areas include genetic mechanisms, environmental factors, surgical outcomes, anesthesia techniques, and post-surgery patient satisfaction. Emerging areas include the precise selection of surgical flap sources, genomic alterations, and associations with sex development disorders, suggesting promising avenues for future research. This bibliometric analysis offers a comprehensive view of current research trends and hotspots in hypospadias, contributing to a deeper understanding of the field and informing future research directions.

Keywords: Hypospadias; Bibliometric analysis; Genetic mechanisms; Surgical outcomes; Environmental factors

Introduction

Hypospadias is a common birth defect in boys that affects the genitals and is characterized by an abnormal positioning of the urethral opening due to atypical development of the urethral corpus cavernosum. Hypospadias often coexists with other genital abnormalities such as penile curvature and irregular penile skin. In addition to its anatomical implications, hypospadias significantly impacts the patient’s physiological and mental well-being. Epidemiological studies indicate that hypospadias is one of the most prevalent congenital structural penile malformations, ranking second only to cryptorchidism in male genital birth defects. The incidence of hypospadias is increasing, currently affecting approximately 1 in 200–250 individuals, and as a result it has attracted considerable attention within the medical community. Despite ongoing research, the exact cause of hypospadias remains unknown due to its complex pathogenesis and diverse clinical presentations. Some cases are associated with specific syndromes, which complicates both the study and treatment of the condition. Surgical intervention is the primary treatment for hypospadias, with approximately 300 surgical techniques available. However, regardless of the chosen method, postoperative complications are common, posing risks to the physical and mental health of affected children. As such, addressing how to minimize complications and improve surgical success rates is a critical issue in the medical field. Recent years have witnessed a surge in domestic and international research on hypospadias, leading to the expansion of academic literature and information overload. This abundance of data not only complicates the identification of current research trends in the field but also hampers new research initiatives, limiting the scope and depth of exploration. Given this intricate research landscape, streamlining the integration of information and identifying useful directions for research are essential for advancing hypospadias studies.

Bibliometrics, a method that involves the statistical analysis of published research to extract measurable data, illustrates how knowledge is utilized in publications, offers a comprehensive understanding of the research field, and sheds light on the evolution and changes within the research area. Bibliometrics also assists in identifying influential studies or scholars, providing researchers with a clearer perspective on research topics and uncovering the strengths and weaknesses of research. As a result, bibliometric analysis has gained popularity across various fields in recent years.

Fardod O’Kelly et al. have conducted bibliometric analyses of the top 150 highly cited publications on hypospadias. Dogan G et al. have also performed bibliometric analyses on the publications of hypospadias. Together, these studies have provided valuable insights into future research trends and have created new knowledge framework maps for researchers. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive systematic analysis of the literature on hypospadias. With the increasing number of publications on this topic, it is crucial to systematically review the scientific knowledge structure within the literature, understand research trends, and identify hotspots in the field. Building on previous research, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the literature on hypospadias from 1998 to 2023, with the aim of comprehensively assessing research trends and hotspots using the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database and tools such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R-Bibliometrix. The analysis focused on the publication volume, citation frequency, research trends, major authors, research institutions, and keywords in the hypospadias literature. The ultimate goal of this research was to pinpoint research hotspots and forecast future development trends in the field.

Data Source and Search Strategies

For our database selection, we chose the widely recognized Web of Science for our bibliometric analysis. We conducted a comprehensive search of the WOSCC database for publications related to hypospadias from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 2023. All searches were completed and downloaded on January 3, 2024, to prevent bias from daily database updates. Two authors independently verified the downloaded literature, and any disputed documents were resolved through full-text reading and discussions with corresponding authors. The search strategy used “hypospadias” as the search term, as the term “hypospadias mesh” was not found in PubMed. The inclusion criteria were limited to English-language articles or review articles. Initially, 6,078 documents were identified, with 4,525 meeting the criteria. After screening titles and abstracts, 3,647 articles that specifically focused on hypospadias were selected and imported into CiteSpace for deduplication, resulting in no duplicate documents being included, as outlined in Table 1.