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Fifty years of thoracic surgical research in South Africa


A Linegar
F Smit
P Goldstraw
G van Zyl

Abstract

Aim. To investigate the scope and trends in clinical research in
South African thoracic surgery between 1955 and 2006 and to
measure its impact on clinical practice.
Method. A systematic review of all SA thoracic surgical
publications was performed.
Results. There were 252 general thoracic publications and a
marked decrease in publications was noted after the peak
period of productivity of the 1980s. There was a shift toward
the private sector as an origin of articles and toward a local,
non-indexed journal. Inflammatory lung disease was the
most frequent topic of publication. Case series and case
reports were the most frequent type of article.
Conclusion. The vulnerability of a small specialty in a
developing country is illustrated by the clear trends that
emerged. The study provides important indicators for future
research, highlights the need for a national database of clinical
experience, and emphasises the importance of rekindling
interest and a culture of research in thoracic surgery.

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eISSN: 2078-5135
print ISSN: 0256-9574