The 100 most cited articles in the endovascular treatment of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Abstract

Since the introduction of endovascular technology to treat thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms, there has been a global research effort focused on assessing the effectiveness of treatment. A bibliometric analysis is used to identify the scientific impact of an article, impactful authors, institutions, and collaborative groups. Our objective was to identify and to analyze the 100 most cited articles in the field of endovascular treatment of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms. We performed a retrospective bibliometric analysis in April 2018. Articles were searched on the Science Citation Index Expanded database using Web of Science to identify the most cited articles in endovascular therapy for thoracic and aortic aneurysms since 1945. Use of selected key terms ("AAA," "aortic aneurysm," "thoracic aneurysm," "abdominal aneurysm," "endovascular," "endoluminal," "stent," "graft," "repair," "EVAR," and "TEVAR") yielded a total of 23,354 articles. The top 100 articles were identified and analyzed to extract relevant information including year of publication, citation count, journal, authorship country of origin, and article type. The earliest articles were published in 1991, with the majority being published in the 2000s (n = 59). The number of citations for the top 100 articles ranged from 151 to 1142, with a median citation count of 212. All articles were cited an average of 22.4 times per year. Almost half (n = 46) of the top 100 articles were published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery. Thirty-nine authors contributed four or more articles, with two being credited on 10 papers to make the list. The majority (n = 62) of the articles arose from the United States, while the United Kingdom contributed 11 articles. There were 7 guidelines and 12 randomized controlled trials, and the majority constituted level III or level IV evidence. This study provides a comprehensive and informative analysis of the most cited and impactful research undertaken in the field of endovascular treatment of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms. By quantitatively assessing the 100 most cited articles in the field, we recognize the contributions of key authors, institutions, and collaborative groups and develop an understanding of the strengths of past research and the requirements for future global efforts.