Gastroesophageal reflux disease since the establishment of WOS: insights from bibliometric and visualised analysis

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is troublesome with high financial burdens, though most previous studies were limited in certain aspects. Therefore, this visualised analysis aims to generate a comprehensive perspective for further exploration and clinical reference. This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of a staggering 24,627 articles sourced from the Web of Science database, utilising cutting-edge bibliometric software tools such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix to present a profile of annual trends, leading countries, core authors, affiliations, journals and trending topics. The evolution of GERD research aligns with Kuhn’s paradigm theory, progressing through three distinct phases: the pre-pH-metry era, the pH-metry paradigm, and the impedance-pH era. These transitions highlight the synergistic interplay of technological innovation, clinical demand and policy directives. America has led GERD research over the past few years. International collaboration is needed with the large portion of single-country publications. The Veterans Health Administration (937 publications) is the most active affiliation, and Gastroenterology (126 H index) is the leading journal. Talley. NJ (73 H index) has made the most significant contribution. This field is multidisciplinary. This large-scale bibliometric analysis highlights paradigm shifts in GERD research. Publications on GERD are still in growth, but with a relatively slow phase that may need Innovation. The USA have dominated over years, while China and South Korea show recent growth. Health, Nursing, Medicine, Molecular Biology, and Genetics are the fundamental sources of the system of GERD. The studies of GERD are multidisciplinary and mainly associated with Surgery, Pediatrics and Pharmacology. Multidisciplinary efforts are critical for future innovation.