Comprehensive visualization of bariatric surgery and gut microbiota research: a global analysis

Abstract

Background In recent years, there has been a noteworthy increase in research exploring the relationship between gut microbiota and bariatric surgery. This increase can be attributed to the growing recognition of the importance of gut microbiota in diverse health issues, such as obesity, and its alterations following bariatric surgery. Consequently, this study seeks to employ bibliometric analysis to show the current research landscape and identify key areas of focus for future investigations on the link between bariatric surgery and gut microbiota. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search of the Scopus database to gather literature concerning bariatric surgery and its impact on the gut microbiota. The search encompassed documents published between 2009 and 2023. To analyze the bibliometric data, we employed diverse metrics, including publication count, citation count, and evaluation of the performance of countries, institutions, and journals. Additionally, we utilized VOSviewer to visually present the findings. Results A total of 555 articles focused on the correlation between bariatric surgery and the gut microbiota. Original research articles constituted 55.32% of all publications on this topic, followed by reviews at 37.30%. The leading countries in terms of publication volume were the USA (n = 156; 28.11%), China (n = 73; 13.15%), and the UK (n = 52; 9.37%). Co-occurrence analysis highlighted three main clusters of research topics: (1) the impact of bariatric surgery on the gut microbiota composition in relation to obesity remission, (2) the relationship between glucose metabolism, circulating bile acids, gut hormones, and gut microbiome remodeling, and (3) the connections between alterations in the gut microbiota and insulin resistance. Conclusions Ongoing research has investigated the connection between bariatric surgery and the gut microbiota, providing new perspectives on metabolic improvements after surgery. Further studies are necessary to comprehensively grasp how bariatric procedures influence the gut microbiota and to formulate precise interventions aimed at optimizing the health advantages of surgery.