Department of Surgery, Innovation and Research in Surgery, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.
Department of Surgery, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.
Obes Surg. 2024 Aug;34(8):2897-2906. doi: 10.1007/s11695-024-07339-6. Epub 2024 Jul 13.
Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) has experienced considerable growth, addressing the challenges of obesity and its complications. The lack of a comprehensive bibliometric analysis in Latin America motivates this study, highlighting the need to understand the evolution of research in this area and its impact on clinical decision-making and health policies.
A cross-sectional bibliometric study was carried out using the Scopus database. A structured search strategy was designed to identify articles related to bariatric surgery with authors affiliated with Latin American countries. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, followed by a descriptive and bibliometric analysis of the scientific production found.
A total of 3553 documents published between 1991 and 2024 were included. There was an annual growth of 11%, with an average age of documents of 7.5 years. A concentration was observed in some countries, notably Brazil, Mexico, and Chile. Although scientific output increased, the average number of citations per article showed a downward trend since 2003.
Despite the growth in scientific production, the quality and relevance of research is questioned, especially given the decrease in the impact received. It highlights the lack of meaningful regional collaboration, which could limit the sharing of knowledge and resources. Questions are raised about gaps in research capacity and the economic and development implications are discussed.
This study provides valuable information to strengthen future research in bariatric surgery in Latin America. It highlights the importance of promoting regional and international collaboration and improving research training in countries with less participation. Clinical intervention strategies can benefit from better understanding research trends and adopting evidence-based practices in a more informed manner.
代谢和减重手术（MBS）经历了显著的发展，解决了肥胖及其并发症的挑战。由于缺乏对拉丁美洲的全面文献计量分析，因此开展了这项研究，强调了需要了解该领域研究的演变及其对临床决策和卫生政策的影响。
使用 Scopus 数据库进行了一项横断面文献计量学研究。设计了一个结构化的搜索策略，以确定与拉丁美洲国家的作者相关的减重手术相关文章。应用了纳入和排除标准，然后对发现的科学产出进行描述性和文献计量学分析。
共纳入了 1991 年至 2024 年期间发表的 3553 篇文献。每年的增长率为 11%，文献的平均年龄为 7.5 年。观察到一些国家存在集中现象，特别是巴西、墨西哥和智利。尽管科学产出有所增加，但自 2003 年以来，每篇文章的平均引用次数呈下降趋势。
尽管科学产出有所增长，但研究的质量和相关性受到质疑，特别是考虑到所获得的影响力下降。它强调了缺乏有意义的区域合作，这可能限制了知识和资源的共享。人们对研究能力的差距提出了质疑，并讨论了经济和发展方面的影响。
这项研究为加强拉丁美洲减重手术的未来研究提供了有价值的信息。它强调了促进区域和国际合作以及提高参与较少国家的研究培训的重要性。临床干预策略可以从更好地了解研究趋势和更明智地采用循证实践中受益。
