Bariatric surgery has become a key treatment for pediatric obesity. However, the rapid growth and variety of related studies may pose challenges for researchers in identifying gaps in knowledge and potential future research areas. Bibliometric analysis provides a structured, quantitative method for summarizing research output, identifying key trends, and pinpointing emerging areas of focus.

Publications on pediatric bariatric surgery published between 2004 and 2024 were sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection. To analyze co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence patterns, CiteSpace 6.1.R6 and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were utilized. These tools also enabled the detection of research hotspots and emerging frontiers through citation burst analysis.

A total of 916 articles from 54 countries and 1,140 institutions authored by 3,490 researchers were included. Annual publications demonstrated a steady increase, with a surge after 2019 and peaks in 2020 and 2024. The United States led in both publication volume (501 papers, 54.7%) and citations (17,703 times), followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and Italy. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati were the most productive institutions. High-impact authors included Inge TH, Jenkins TM, and Michalsky MP. Journals such as Obesity Surgery and Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases were the primary outlets. Keyword clustering revealed five major themes: pediatric obesity management, postoperative quality of life, transitional interventions, surgical procedures, and obesity-related comorbidities. Burst keyword analysis indicated evolving research foci, shifting from surgical techniques (e.g., biliopancreatic diversion, gastric bypass) to metabolic complications (e.g., fatty liver disease, insulin resistance) and quality of life, with recent emphasis on guidelines and metabolic surgery. Highly cited works included clinical guidelines and outcome-based studies published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, and New England Journal of Medicine.

Over the past two decades, research on pediatric bariatric surgery has grown substantially, driven primarily by U.S. institutions and scholars. The field has transitioned from focusing on surgical techniques to addressing long-term metabolic outcomes, quality of life, and guideline development. These findings provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge landscape, offering valuable guidance for future research and clinical practice in pediatric bariatric surgery.