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.