Four Decades of Clinical Liver Transplantation Research: Results of a Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Special ArticleBackground. Nearly 40 y have passed since the 1983 National Institutes of Health Consensus-Development-Conference, which has turned liver transplantation (LT) from a clinical experiment into a routine therapeutic modality. Since‚ clinical LT has changed substantially. We aimed to comprehensively analyze the publication trends in the most-cited top-notch literature in LT science over a 4-decade period. Methods. A total of 106 523 items were identified between January 1981 and May 2021 from the Web of Science Core Collection. The top 100 articles published were selected using 2 distinct citation-based strategies to minimize bias. Various bibliometric tools were used for data synthesis and visualization. Results. The citation count for the final dataset of the top 100 articles ranged from 251 to 4721. Most articles were published by US authors (n = 61). The most prolific institution was the University of Pittsburgh (n = 15). The highest number of articles was published in Annals of Surgery, Hepatology, and Transplantation; however, Hepatology publications resulted in the highest cumulative citation of 9668. Only 10% of the articles were classified as evidence level 1. Over 90% of first/last authors were male. Our data depict the evolution of research focus over 40 y. In part, a disproportional flow of citations was observed toward already well-cited articles. This might also project a slowed canonical progress, which was described in other fields of science.Conclusions. This study highlights key trends based on a large dataset of the most-cited articles over a 4-decade period. The present analysis not only provides an important cross-sectional and forward-looking guidance to clinicians, funding bodies, and researchers but also draws attention to important socio-academic or demographic aspects in LT.

The impact of center volume on the utilization and outcomes of machine perfusion technology in liver transplantation: An international survey

“…MP probably represents the most critical novelty introduced in the LT clinical arena in the last decade. While the results of LTs from standard donors are now excellent, 15 ECDs ‐ and particularly DCDs‐ carry an increased risk of graft‐associated complications, including PNF, EAD, and ischemic cholangiopathy 16 . A reliable liver viability assessment is therefore essential for the further success of this technology.…”

Clinical Research in Renal Transplantation: A Bibliometric Perspective on a Half-century of Innovation and Progress

“…8 Therefore, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish high-quality, impactful research papers from articles of no or low scientific value. 9 Evaluative bibliometrics, using mathematical and statistical methods, and visualization tools to analyze trends in the evolution of a certain scientific field have been applied successfully for the quantitative synthesis of large-scale literature data. 10 Adopting our established methodical approach, 9 we aimed to identify a large data set of the 200 most-cited articles in clinical RT published during the last halfcentury.…”

“…9 Evaluative bibliometrics, using mathematical and statistical methods, and visualization tools to analyze trends in the evolution of a certain scientific field have been applied successfully for the quantitative synthesis of large-scale literature data. 10 Adopting our established methodical approach, 9 we aimed to identify a large data set of the 200 most-cited articles in clinical RT published during the last halfcentury. Subsequently, we applied state-of-the-art bibliometric analysis tools to better understand, synthesize, and depict the dynamic patterns of innovation and progress that took place during this time.…”

Calcification of the visceral aorta and celiac trunk is associated with renal and allograft outcomes after deceased donor liver transplantation

“…Particularly, in times of critical organ shortage and consecutive rise in the use of marginal allografts from extended criteria donors (ECD), an optimal clinical risk assessment and outcome prediction in the setting of OLT is of utmost relevance [5,6]. In this context, various predictive scores have been developed to assess perioperative risk in the setting of OLT over the last decades [7,8]. These include well-established scores such as Balance of Risk (BAR) [9], Survival Outcomes Following liver Transplantation (SOFT) [10], and the Donor Risk Index (DRI) [11,12].…”

“…Results of the logistic regression were given as odds ratios with 95% confidence interval a According to Olthoff et. al [7]. b Based on the German Medical Chamber Guidelines[6] *Factors showing a p value < 0.1 in the univariable analysis were included in the multivariable logistic regression model…”