Historical roots of parotid pleomorphic adenoma surgery—a bibliometric analysis using a new method

Abstract Aim The purpose of this study is to use reference publication year spectroscopy (RPYS) to trace the evolution of parotid surgery for pleomorphic adenoma. The primary goal is to identify essential articles and landmarks that have had a substantial impact on the evolution of surgical methods and treatment paradigms. Material and methods The study conducted a thorough search of the Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus databases, concentrating on the literature on parotidectomy for pleomorphic adenoma until September 1, 2023. These databases’ datasets are put into the CRExplorer application (version 1.9), and RPYS analysis is performed. A total of 860 WOS publications and 1159 Scopus articles are evaluated, with references ranging from 1902 to 2022. Results The RPYS analysis identified 42 important publications, accounting for 3.6% of the examined papers, with spectrogram graphs suggesting citation frequency peaks. The distribution of cited references is divided into four unique periods: 1900–1950, 1951–1975, 1976–2000, and after 2000. Citations increase throughout time, indicating the expansion of bibliographic databases. Conclusion The historical examination reveals critical stages in the growth of parotid surgery, extending from the early investigation of pathophysiology and surgical procedures to the formation of specialist head and neck surgery as a specialty. The histological identification of pleomorphic adenoma, the confirmation of facial nerve-sparing surgery, and the analysis of extracapsular dissection as a paradigm change are all significant accomplishments. Despite database coverage constraints, the study stresses the value of historical knowledge in understanding the dynamic developments in head and neck surgery.