Research trends in minimally invasive partial splenectomy: a bibliometric mapping review with cross-database comparison.
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BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive partial splenectomy (MIPS) is used for hereditary hematologic disorders, splenic cysts, hydatid disease, benign tumors, and selected traumatic lesions. However, its literature remains dispersed across patient groups, indications, and surgical specialties. This study mapped the development, contributors, knowledge base, and thematic structure of MIPS research and examined the concordance of its principal patterns across databases. METHODS: Articles and reviews published from 1 January 1995 to 29 August 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), Scopus, and PubMed. WoSCC supported the primary bibliometric and knowledge-mapping analyses; Scopus and PubMed supported cross-database comparisons. Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were used to analyze publication output, contributors, keywords, co-cited references, and citation bursts. Database overlap, annual-output correlations, and journal and theme descriptive agreement were also assessed. RESULTS: The final datasets comprised 150 WoSCC, 154 Scopus, and 161 PubMed publications. WoSCC output increased after 2015 and reached 15 publications in 2024, the highest total among complete years. China contributed the most publications (n = 53), while the United States had the highest country-level total link strength. Surgical Endoscopy, Journal of Pediatric Surgery, and Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques were the leading sources. Keyword analysis identified eight moderately coherent clusters (Q = 0.4383; mean silhouette = 0.6477), covering partial splenectomy, laparoscopic surgery, hydatid disease, hereditary spherocytosis, pediatric surgery, and operative techniques. Cross-database linkage identified 183 unique publications; 122 (66.7%) occurred in all three databases. Annual publication counts were strongly correlated for 1995-2025 (Spearman's ρ = 0.960-0.979) and after inclusion of partial-year 2026 data (ρ = 0.963-0.978; all P < 0.001). Eight journals appeared in all three database-specific Top-10 lists, and the leading thematic distributions were broadly similar across databases. CONCLUSION: MIPS research has expanded but remains relatively small, institutionally dispersed, and focused on operative feasibility, technical refinement, and perioperative outcomes. These broad patterns were consistent across the three databases, although the comparisons do not constitute independent external validation. Disease-stratified multicenter studies with standardized long-term assessment of splenic function are needed.