BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is a complex disease with high mortality and disability rates. Ischemia-reperfusion injury is a common aftermath. There have been significant advancements in understanding ischemia-reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke over the past two decades. This study aims to evaluate the current state of ischemia-reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke through bibliometric analysis, identifying key research areas and emerging trends. METHODS: Relevant documents in the Web of Science Core Collection, SCI-Expanded from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2023, were downloaded on July 10, 2024. Bibliometric analysis was performed using HistCite, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrics online analysis platform. RESULTS: A total of 2179 research papers from 611 journals in 66 countries were included in this study. Among these papers, China emerged as the leading contributor of ischemia-reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke publications, with Capital Medical University standing out as the institution with the highest number of publications in this area. Y. Zhang was identified as the author with the most publications during the study period. Brain Research was found to be the most prolific journal for this research. The keywords "ferroptosis", "circular RNA", "polarization", and "fatty acid binding protein" represent the current hot spots of ischemia-reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke research. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis offers the first thorough overview of hot spots and research trends in ischemia-reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke over the previous 21 years, providing researchers with new ideas in the field. "ferroptosis", "circular RNA", "polarization", and "fatty acid binding protein" may be the focus of future studies.