Global Collaboration in Urological Surgery Research Between High- and Low-income Countries: A Bibliometric Scoping Review.

To assess collaborations in global urological surgery research and trends in authorship representation for studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A systematic bibliometric scoping review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to outline global collaboration patterns in urological surgery research. Literature searches in PubMed and Scopus included articles published from inception to January 1, 2024. Articles were included if they described urological surgery research involving a high-income country (HIC) conducted exclusively in LMICs. Articles were excluded if unrelated to urological surgery or if a collaboration between HICs and LMICs was not outlined. Data analysis was conducted from February to April 2024. A total of 1777 peer-reviewed articles were identified and 108 studies met inclusion criteria. Most articles (89.8%) were published in 2009 or later. A significant majority of studies (81.5%) involved at least one author from the LMIC of focus and were considered collaborative. First and senior authors predominantly originated from HICs, particularly in studies based in low-income countries (88.2% and 94.1%). Fifty-two articles (48.15%) were focused on educational initiatives, followed by training (23%) and humanitarian efforts (13%). Sub-Saharan Africa contributed the largest share of studies (19%), while Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest collaboration rates (20%). Endourology was the most frequently studied field across the research areas. This study highlights an upward trend in international urological surgery research with collaborative partnerships. These findings set a benchmark for promoting and sustaining equitable participation in global urological surgery research based in LMICs.