Best Surgery Journals (2026): Ranked by Impact and Accessibility

Elite Tier (IF 5+)

JAMA Surgery has the highest IF among dedicated surgery journals at 13.5. It publishes original research, reviews, and opinion pieces that address broad surgical topics. The JAMA brand gives it visibility far beyond the surgical community. Hospital administrators, health policy researchers, and general internists all read JAMA Surgery. If your paper has implications beyond the operating room, this is where it belongs. The acceptance rate is around 8%, and the editors favor large, well-designed studies, preferably randomized trials or large registries.

Annals of Surgery is the oldest and most prestigious surgery journal, published since 1885. It carries an institutional weight that no other surgery journal matches. Many surgical leaders built their reputations on Annals papers, and the journal remains the gold standard for academic surgery. The scope is broad, covering general surgery, transplant, trauma, and subspecialties. An IF of 6.4 puts it among the top medical journals overall.

British Journal of Surgery is the leading international surgery journal. Published by Oxford University Press in association with several European surgical societies, it has a strong methodological focus. BJS publishes randomized trials, systematic reviews, and well-designed observational studies. The editorial team is particularly rigorous about study design and statistical analysis. If your paper has strong methodology, BJS will appreciate it.

Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery is the leading journal for cardiothoracic surgery. Published by the AATS (American Association for Thoracic Surgery), it covers cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, and congenital heart surgery. An IF of 5.0 makes it the strongest subspecialty surgical journal. Most cardiac surgeons consider a JTCVS paper to be career-defining.

Strong Tier (IF 3-5)

Journal of the American College of Surgeons is the ACS's journal and one of the most widely read general surgery publications. It publishes research, clinical reviews, and the proceedings of ACS meetings. The journal has strong connections to the American surgical establishment, and publishing here signals that your work is relevant to the practicing general surgeon.

Surgery (Elsevier) is a broad-scope general surgery journal that's been publishing for decades. It has a loyal readership and reasonable review times. The acceptance rate of 20% makes it competitive but achievable for well-designed studies. It's a reliable home for solid clinical research.

Surgical Endoscopy covers minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopic and robotic procedures. It's the leading journal in this growing niche and is read by surgeons who are adopting new techniques. If your research involves laparoscopic, robotic, or endoscopic surgery, Surgical Endoscopy has the most engaged audience.

Diseases of the Colon & Rectum is the ASCRS journal and the definitive publication for colorectal surgery. With an IF of 3.5, it's strong for a subspecialty journal. Colorectal surgeons read it cover to cover. If your work is in colorectal surgery, this is likely the most impactful journal for your career.

Annals of Surgical Oncology is the SSO's journal and the primary outlet for surgical oncology research. It covers cancer surgery across all sites, from breast to hepatobiliary. The journal has a solid IF of 3.4 and a dedicated readership of surgical oncologists.

Accessible Tier (IF 1.5-3)

European Journal of Surgical Oncology overlaps with Annals of Surgical Oncology but has a European focus. It's published by the European Society of Surgical Oncology and offers a slightly higher acceptance rate. Good for European surgical oncology research that doesn't quite reach the ASO bar.

HPB is the official journal of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. It covers liver, pancreas, and biliary surgery. The subspecialty readership is small but highly engaged, and papers here are read by essentially every active HPB surgeon.

World Journal of Surgery focuses on surgical practice globally, including low-resource settings. If your research addresses global surgery, surgical capacity building, or surgical outcomes in LMICs, this journal has the right audience. The acceptance rate is more forgiving than the elite journals.

BJS Open is the OA companion to British Journal of Surgery. It maintains reasonable quality standards while offering open access at a moderate APC of $2,650. Papers that are good but not quite BJS-level often end up here.

Journal of Surgical Research publishes basic science and translational research related to surgery. If your paper is about wound healing, ischemia-reperfusion, or surgical biology, JSR is the dedicated outlet. The readership is academic surgeons with research interests.

Open Access Accessible Tier

BJS Open is the most recognizable OA surgery journal thanks to the BJS brand. World Journal of Surgery offers hybrid OA. For general medical surgery papers, JAMA Network Open publishes surgical research with broad OA distribution. BMJ Surgery, Interventions, & Health Technologies is a newer OA option backed by the BMJ brand.

JAMA Surgery has transformed since rebranding from Archives of Surgery in 2013. The JAMA connection raised its profile, its IF, and its editorial ambitions. The journal now publishes research that interests both surgeons and non-surgeons. Quality improvement studies, outcomes research, and health policy analyses fit alongside traditional clinical trials.

Annals of Surgery remains the journal that surgical leaders want on their CV. The review process can be slow (up to 14 weeks), and the editors have high standards for novelty and sample size. But an Annals paper opens doors in academic surgery that no other journal can.

British Journal of Surgery has a different personality than the American journals. BJS values methodological rigor over surgical tradition. Statisticians are involved in the review process, and weak study designs get rejected regardless of the topic's importance. If your paper's methodology is airtight, BJS will recognize that.

Surgical Endoscopy has grown alongside the expansion of minimally invasive surgery. It publishes a high volume of papers on laparoscopic and robotic techniques, and the readership actively implements what they read. Studies comparing surgical approaches, evaluating new devices, and assessing learning curves are core content.

Annals of Surgical Oncology serves a community that bridges general surgery and medical oncology. The journal publishes clinical outcomes studies, translational research, and quality metrics for cancer surgery. If your paper reports surgical outcomes for a specific cancer type, ASO's readership is exactly right.

If your paper reports a major trial or large outcomes study with broad implications, start with JAMA Surgery or Annals of Surgery.

If you have a well-designed study with strong methodology, British Journal of Surgery will appreciate the rigor.

If your work is in minimally invasive surgery, Surgical Endoscopy has the most targeted readership.

If you're doing surgical oncology, choose between Annals of Surgical Oncology and European Journal of Surgical Oncology based on your geographic audience.

If your paper addresses a specific subspecialty, the subspecialty journal (JTCVS, DCR, HPB) likely reaches the right readers better than a general surgery journal.

If you need accessible publication with reasonable acceptance rates, Surgery, World Journal of Surgery, or BJS Open are practical choices.

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