Introduction
The prevalence of aortic valve disease has been increasing due to the
ageing population. A corresponding rise in published literature is seen.
Hence, the identification of important works may become increasingly
difficult. Citations are received when a publication is referenced by
another peer-reviewed article and work with the greatest scientific
impact and significance are likely to be cited more. Similarly, the
citation counts of publications reflect its impact on scientific
progress as well as the influence of its journal of publication.
Bibliometric Citation analysis is a method of identifying significant
manuscripts amongst the plethora of publications whilst quantifying the
importance of each paper. Citation analysis involves ranking and
evaluating an article based on its number of citations, serving to rank
the scientific impact of both the article itself and its journal of
publication. Although there is no single best method of determining the
importance of a scientific publication, the use of bibliometric analysis
is generally accepted as an appropriate method. Many surgical
specialities have employed citation rank analysis to identify their most
influential papers, including paediatrics, general surgery and
cardiothoracic surgery.[1–3]
To date, there has not been a study to determine the top 100 manuscripts
on aortic valve replacement. Citation bibliometrics will provide insight
into how our understanding of aortic valve replacement, and its uses,
have evolved. Additionally, this paper will serve to reference the most
impactful papers on AVR to help identify the most relevant materials for
future authors.