High-income countries dominated the 50 most cited surgical articles, with male first authors accounting for 88% of the publications.
Systematic Review (n=50)
High-income countries and male authors dominate highly cited surgical research, highlighting the need for equitable funding and investment in low-resource settings.
This systematic review examined global disparities in surgical research output between hospital systems and national healthcare institutions. A bibliometric analysis of the 50 most cited surgical articles in Web of Science was performed following PRISMA. High-income countries, particularly North America and Western Europe, dominated output, while Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East were underrepresented. Male first authors accounted for 88% of articles; female authorship showed comparable citation performance. Higher co-authorship correlated with greater citations but lower evidence levels. Equitable funding, open access, and investment in low-resource settings are essential to foster inclusive, context-relevant innovation.
Ahmad et al. (Thu,) conducted a systematic review in Surgical research (n=50). Surgical research output was evaluated on Global disparities in surgical research output and authorship. High-income countries dominated the 50 most cited surgical articles, with male first authors accounting for 88% of the publications.