Zeming Qiu, Chuanyi Yin, Kang Chen, Chaoqun Duan, Lianju Huang
To characterise the global research landscape, knowledge structure, and thematic evolution of salvage robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (sRARP) for recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy (RT) or focal therapy (FT). English-language articles and reviews identified through a literature search covering 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, restricted to the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index. Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Scimago Graphica were used to analyse publication trends, international and institutional collaboration, authors, journals, citation networks, keyword co-occurrence, thematic clusters, citation bursts, and temporal evolution. A total of 72 publications met the inclusion criteria, of which 62 were original research articles and 10 were reviews. Scientific output rose after 2016 and showed more sustained growth from 2019 onwards. The United States led the field in both publication volume and citation impact, although research production was still centred in a relatively small group of specialised institutions and collaborative networks. BJU International published the largest number of papers, while Journal of Urology ranked highest in terms of local citations. Keyword analysis identified eight thematic clusters with good structural quality (Q = 0.5139; S = 0.8057). Research themes evolved from early emphasis on RT, brachytherapy, cryotherapy, technical feasibility, and treatment failure towards FT, HIFU, prostate-specific membrane antigen imaging, functional outcomes, urinary continence, and contemporary salvage strategies. "Focal therapy" showed the strongest citation burst from 2019 to 2023. sRARP research has progressed from feasibility-oriented reports towards patient selection and outcome-focused clinical evaluation across increasingly heterogeneous salvage settings. However, the evidence remains concentrated in specialised centres. Future studies should prioritise prospective multicentre validation, stratification by previous treatment, standardised outcome definitions, longer follow-up, and assessment of learning curves and resource use.