The evolution of hemorrhoids publications during 1980-2021: a global and medical view with bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Aims: Hemorrhoids is a common anorectal disorder and significantly affects quality of life. Although the number of global studies on hemorrhoids has increased in recent years, there is still no bibliometric study in the literature. In this study, it aimed that analyzing the scientific articles published on hemorrhoids holistically. 
 Methods: The articles published between 1980 and 2021 were analyzed using bibliometric and statistical methods on hemorrhoids. Network visualization maps were used to identify trending topics and international collaborations. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used for correlation studies. The Exponential Triple Smoothing estimator was used to estimate the number of articles expected to be published in the coming years. 
 Results: A total of 3203 publications were found. 1863 (58.1%) of these publications were articles. The most active author is Gupta PJ. (n=26). The first 2 journals that published the most articles were Diseases of the Colon & Rectum (n=228) and Colorectal Disease (n=82). Singapore General Hospital (n=35) and University of Rome La Sapienza (n=19) were the 2 most active institutions. According to the average number of citations per article, the top 2 most influential journals were British Journal of Surgery and American Journal of Gastroenterology. 
 Conclusion: In this comprehensive study on hemorrhoids, a statistical analysis of 1863 articles was shared. It was determined that the trend topics in hemorrhoid researches were THD, mucopexy, transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization, colorectal surgery, embolization, constipation, risk factors, Milligan-Morgan, classification, recurrence and randomized controlled trial. This article can be a useful resource for scientists and clinicians in terms of the global output of hemorrhoids yesterday, today and tomorrow.