Clinical surgery in contemporary Mongolia: A 2025 perspective on progress and challenges

Introduction: Mongolia has experienced uneven development in surgical services since the introduction of Western medicine in 1922. Geographic and population disparities have contributed to unequal access to healthcare across regions. Surgical practices have evolved from treating hydatid disease to addressing tumors and trauma as leading burdens. A shift from traditional to minimally invasive techniques has also been observed. This multicenter study seeks to benchmark surgical service quality and subspecialty-specific competency matrices in contemporary Mongolian healthcare settings. Methods: A systematic literature retrieval was conducted on PubMed from database inception through March 31, 2025, using title-specific Boolean operators (Mongolia OR Mongolian) AND (surgery OR surgical procedures). With exclusion filters applied for animal-based preclinical studies. Language parameters were constrained to peer-reviewed publications in English, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese. Result: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 22 retrospective studies and 9 prospective studies were identified as eligible. The median age of all patients was 42.327 years (mean ± SD: 42.327 ± 22.770 years). Gender distribution comprised 19.89% male, 72.22% female, and 7.89% unspecified. The study timeframe spanned 1996–2024, with 24 projects (80% of the total) concentrated in 2007–2024. A total of 24,514 surgical procedures were analyzed. International collaborative interventions: 1.93% (n=473). Traditional open surgeries: 11,036 cases. Minimally invasive procedures: 13,478 cases.Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgeries: 0 cases. The research involved 11 Mongolian academic institutions, with publication outputs distributed as follows: Mongolia National University of Medical Sciences: 35.48%. Mongolia Health Sciences University: 16.13%.First Central Hospital of Ulaanbaatar: 16.13%.Mongolia Cancer Center: 9.68%.Disease-specific research foci included: Cholecystolithiasis with cholecystitis: 12.9%. Renal failure: 6.45%.Breast carcinoma: 6.45%.Surgical subspecialties encompass neurosurgery, general surgery, obstetrics & gynecology, orthopedics, urology, oral & maxillofacial surgery, ophthalmic surgery, transplant surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery. Conclusion: Mongolian surgery has advanced by integrating traditional practices with modern techniques, developing over 10 subspecialties. Minimally invasive procedures have expanded through global training, though experience with Da Vinci robotic systems remains absent. Although no clinical studies have been published, institutions are preparing for future adoption. Efforts are underway to build research frameworks exploring its potential. Clinical data are anticipated to support its role in Mongolia’s surgical innovation.