ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sex disparities have previously been identified in surgical academia. This study examines sex differences in the top-cited contemporary general surgery articles and compares Altimetric Attention Score (AAS) and other impact metrics between male and female corresponding authors (CAs). METHODS: We conducted a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most cited articles published between 2019 and 2021 in each of the top 10 general surgery journals based on the 2021 Journal Impact Factor. Impact metrics included AAS, citation count, and H-index of the CA. We used multivariable regression analyses to investigate whether the sex of the CA or first author (FA) was independently associated with AAS and citation count. RESULTS: Among 1000 articles, 23.1% had female CAs and 27.4% female FAs. Female CA articles had higher AAS (13.0 [2.0-63.0] vs. 8.0 [1.0-28.5]; p < 0.001) and lower H-indices (24.0 [11.0-45.0] vs. 31.0 [17.0-50.0]; p = 0.015). Although median citation count did not differ by CA sex, articles with Level 1 evidence and a female CA were cited more often (35.5 [24.0-85.0] vs. 25.0 [16.0 vs. 46.0]; p < 0.05). In multivariable regression, female CA articles had higher AAS (OR: 1.002 [95% CI: 1.001-1.004]) and lower H-index (OR: 0.987 [95% CI: 0.977-0.997]). CONCLUSION: Despite having similar citation counts, articles authored by female CAs exhibit higher AAS scores compared to those authored by their male counterparts. While it is heartening that research authored by female surgeons achieves significant visibility, it remains to be understood how this translates into academic impact and scholarly recognition.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To assess the visual improvement and mean residual astigmatism in patients who underwent cataract surgery with toric intraocular lens. METHODS: The retrospective, observational study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2020, related to adult patients who had regular astigmatism of at least 0.75D and underwent cataract surgery with toric intraocular lens implantation using a digital marker. The patients were followed up on post-operative days 1, 7, 30, 90 and 180. Along with age, the degree of astigmatism was noted. The visual acuity was calculated pre- and post-operatively. The mean residual astigmatism was then noted for all patients post-operatively. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: The sample comprised 240 eyes of 177 patients; 99(55.9%) males and 78(44.1%) females. The mean age of the sample was 62.5±10.6 years. The mean unaided visual acuity improved post-operatively from 0.57±0.38 to 0.07±0.22 at 90 days. At the 30-day follow-up, mean residual astigmatism had reduced from 1.52±0.84 to 0.01±0.09 (p<0.001). The mean intraocular lens rotation from the intended axis was 0.73°±0.92° on day 30. CONCLUSIONS: Toric intraocular lens implantation using a digital marker could effectively reduce the post-operative cylinder, and improve the unaided visual acuity following cataract surgery.