Key result
Top CHD surgery studies show improved outcomes in select lesions but persistent morbidity in complex defects.
Why the study?
Although clinical and surgical outcomes in congenital heart disease are well documented, a lack of bibliometric analysis has interfered with recognizing the studies that have most influenced surgical practices.
This bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited congenital heart disease surgical publications identifies historical research trends, lesion-specific outcome reporting patterns, and a need for higher-quality studies and improved access to care in resource-constrained settings.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Persistent morbidity in complex congenital repairs may inform counseling; leaves open optimal strategies pending high-quality trials.
Introduction Congenital heart disease (CHD) ranks as one of the most prevalent congenital anomalies as detection rates have increased due to evolving surgical management over the past decades. Although there have been well‐documented clinical and surgical outcomes, a lack of analysis interferes with the recognition of studies that have influenced surgical practices. The purpose of this study is to perform a detailed bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most‐cited articles centered on CHD surgery. This analysis will help identify research trends, key authors, and encourage future research. Methods A comprehensive search using the Web of Science database identified publications aimed at CHD procedures. The screening process was conducted by four independent reviewers, who extracted numerous important details from the data and analyzed them. A fifth reviewer resolved any inconsistencies in the title and abstract screening. To analyze and summarize the bibliometric data, descriptive statistics were constructed. Results Highly cited publications frequently reported improved outcomes in selected CHD lesions, including Ebstein’s anomaly repair, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, sinus venosus ASD, and isolated VSD. In contrast, publications addressing complex lesions such as interrupted aortic arch, Fontan circulation, pulmonary atresia, and complete atrioventricular septal defect more often reported higher morbidity and reintervention rates, although findings were heterogeneous across studies. These observations reflect the content of highly cited literature rather than a systematic outcome comparison and should be interpreted as patterns within the published record. Conclusion This bibliometric analysis sets forth the foundation of CHD research by highlighting the need for more high‐quality studies. It also points out how crucial it is to improve access to care in resource‐constrained environments and the importance of authorship representation.
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Alabadi et al. (2026) studied Congenital heart disease (n=100). Congenital heart defect surgical procedures was evaluated on Bibliometric trends and reported surgical outcomes across congenital heart defect lesions. Bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited CHD surgery articles showed improved outcomes in selected lesions but higher morbidity and reintervention in complex defects.
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