Fastest-accepting surgery journals 2026

192 surgery journals ranked by the median number of days from submission to acceptance, measured from the dates publishers deposit in PubMed for articles published 2024–2025. The interval includes peer review and revisions.

Journals: 192
Typical median: 104 d
Under 60 days: 23
Over 180 days: 18

Read this before using the ranking

Accepted papers only. Rejected manuscripts never receive an acceptance date, so these figures say nothing about desk-rejection speed, rejection rates or your chance of acceptance.
Not the time to a first decision. The interval runs from the “received” date to the “accepted” date the publisher deposits in PubMed. It includes editorial handling, peer review, every round of revision and the time authors spent revising.
Journals record dates differently. Some reset the received date when a revised manuscript arrives, and manuscripts transferred from another journal may keep or lose their earlier dates. Short medians are therefore not always comparable with long ones.
Past timelines are not a promise. Each figure comes from up to 100 recent articles published 2024–2025. Article types, special issues, editors and workload all change, and your paper may take much longer or much less time.
Fast is not the same as good. Check the journal’s scope, indexing, peer-review policy and editorial board before submitting. An unusually quick acceptance can be a warning sign of light peer review.

Journal Metrics is independent and is not affiliated with any journal or publisher listed. The figures are for information only, may contain errors and change as PubMed records are updated. Confirm current timelines on the journal’s own website. See how to spot predatory journals.

Surgery journals by median days from submission to acceptance

Surgery journals ranked by median days from submission to acceptance in PubMed
Rank	Journal	Median days	Middle half	Articles	Quartile	2026 score
1	Orthopedic Reviews	17†	6–37	100	Q2	2.0
2	JOURNAL OF CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY	20†	12–40	100	Q3	0.9
3	Journal of Orthopaedics	22†	9–40	100	Q2	1.9
4	Journal of Robotic Surgery	26†	21–35	100	Q1	3.1
5	Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine	28†	16–41	98	Q2	1.4
6	Journal of Craniovertebral Junction and Spine	31	16–52	99	Q3	1.0
7	Korean Journal of Gastroenterology	33	20–59	100	Q3	1.1
8	CLINICAL ORTHOPAEDICS AND RELATED RESEARCH	42	11–120	100	Q2	1.7
9	FOLIA MORPHOLOGICA	43	28–75	100	Q3	0.9
10	Arthroscopy Techniques	46	36–65	99	Q3	1.1
10	Transplantation Direct	46	19–111	100	Q1	2.3
12	Journal of Surgical Case Reports	47	35–61	100	Q4	0.6
13	Clinical Endoscopy	49	24–79	100	Q2	2.1
13	JACC-Cardiovascular Interventions	49	22–107	100	Q1	2.6
15	MORPHOLOGIE	50	34–70	94	Q4	0.6
16	International Journal of Surgery Protocols	53	37–88	40	Q3	0.9
17	HSS Journal	55	29–76	100	Q2	2.0
17	Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation	55	38–82	100	Q3	0.8
17	REGIONAL ANESTHESIA AND PAIN MEDICINE	55	36–96	100	Q1	3.3
20	Gastroenterology Research	56	39–71	63	Q2	1.9
20	Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics	56	36–85	100	Q1	2.4
22	Asian Spine Journal	57	27–86	100	Q2	2.2
23	PEDIATRIC SURGERY INTERNATIONAL	60	44–78	95	Q2	1.7
23	Transplantation Reviews	60	33–79	100	Q1	3.1
23	Annali Italiani di Chirurgia	60	44–81	85	Q3	0.9
23	North American Spine Society Journal	60	46–83	100	Q3	0.8
23	SICOT-J	60	29–91	100	Q1	2.7
23	Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction	60	41–124	57	Q2	1.7
29	Spine Surgery and Related Research	62	44–83	100	Q3	0.8
30	KNEE SURGERY SPORTS TRAUMATOLOGY ARTHROSCOPY	63	47–85	100	Q1	5.1
30	Frontiers in Transplantation	63	48–91	100	Q1	1.9
30	INTERNATIONAL ORTHOPAEDICS	63	26–136	100	Q1	2.4
30	Strategies in Trauma and Limb Reconstruction	63	32–219	59	Q3	1.1
34	Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America	64	39–86	100	Q3	1.0
35	Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research	65	44–93	100	Q1	3.9
36	Joint Diseases and Related Surgery	66	42–86	100	Q3	1.3
37	Kardiochirurgia i Torakochirurgia Polska-Polish Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery	67	42–122	89	Q4	0.5
38	Hernia	68	55–92	99	Q1	2.5
38	Neurospine	68	52–94	77	Q1	4.5
38	SURGICAL AND RADIOLOGIC ANATOMY	68	46–122	100	Q2	1.9
41	SPINE	71	63–89	99	Q1	2.6
42	Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics	73	41–104	100	Q1	2.7
42	Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery	73	30–105	96	Q1	2.6
42	Annales de Chirurgie Plastique Esthetique	73	49–106	70	Q4	0.6
42	Journal of Trauma and Injury	73	51–107	98	Q2	1.3
46	Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow	74	62–100	99	Q2	2.2
47	Frontiers in Surgery	76	55–103	100	Q2	1.4
47	Atherosclerosis Plus	76	64–123	65	Q2	1.7
49	Journal of Minimal Access Surgery	77	55–131	99	Q4	0.6
50	Surgical Case Reports	78	47–109	100	Q4	0.6
50	Asian Journal of Endoscopic Surgery	78	49–114	100	Q3	0.9
50	Anatomy & Cell Biology	78	57–127	97	Q1	1.2
53	Annals of Coloproctology	79	51–104	100	Q1	2.6
53	ANNALS OF PLASTIC SURGERY	79	32–107	85	Q2	1.5
55	International Journal of Mycobacteriology	81	62–95	100	Q3	1.1
55	International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing	81	64–106	100	Q3	1.1
55	WORLD JOURNAL OF SURGERY	81	50–117	100	Q2	1.7
55	Journal of Hand and Microsurgery	81	45–123	100	Q3	1.1
55	Journal of Vascular Surgery-Venous and Lymphatic Disorders	81	41–124	100	Q3	1.0
60	IJU Case Reports	83	62–109	100	Q4	0.4
61	Plastic Surgery	85	44–125	95	Q3	1.0
62	International Journal of Surgery Case Reports	86	66–111	100	Q3	0.9
63	Arthroplasty	87	69–108	99	Q1	3.4
63	Journal of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery	87	66–147	100	Q2	1.8
65	GE Portuguese Journal of Gastroenterology	88	67–124	100	Q4	0.6
65	CURRENT PROBLEMS IN SURGERY	88	42–143	100	Q2	1.6
67	Gland Surgery	89	73–109	100	Q2	1.4
67	European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery	89	69–124	99	Q1	2.3
69	Journal Of Bone And Joint Infection	90	59–125	87	Q2	2.2
70	Journal of Ultrasonography	91	68–127	76	Q3	1.1
70	Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery	91	66–130	100	Q1	2.7
70	European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology	91	62–148	99	Q2	1.6
73	World Journal of Pediatric Surgery	92	63–126	84	Q2	2.0
74	Brain and Spine	93	62–137	100	Q4	0.5
75	Journal of the Anus Rectum and Colon	94	68–120	100	Q3	1.3
75	International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology	94	74–122	100	Q2	1.9
75	ANATOMICAL SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL	94	58–139	100	Q3	1.3
75	Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery	94	65–141	100	Q4	0.1
79	Neurochirurgie	95	58–121	99	Q3	1.4
79	World Journal of Orthopedics	95	68–124	100	Q2	1.7
79	Gastric Cancer	95	68–128	100	Q1	5.5
82	ACG Case Reports Journal	96	65–132	100	Q3	0.7
82	ARCHIVES OF ORTHOPAEDIC AND TRAUMA SURGERY	96	52–152	100	Q1	2.6
84	SURGICAL ENDOSCOPY AND OTHER INTERVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES	97	79–131	100	Q1	3.0
84	Journal of Pediatric Surgery	97	61–132	99	Q2	1.8
84	Physical Therapy in Sport	97	65–147	100	Q2	2.0
87	Journal of ISAKOS Joint Disorders & Orthopaedic Sports Medicine	98	68–133	100	Q2	1.5
87	Operative Orthopadie und Traumatologie	98	68–159	81	Q3	1.1
89	OBESITY SURGERY	99	65–144	100	Q1	2.7
90	Hepatobiliary Surgery and Nutrition	100	77–130	100	Q2	1.9
91	JPRAS Open	101	66–144	100	Q2	1.4
92	ORAL ONCOLOGY	102	47–210	100	Q1	2.2
93	Journal of Spine Surgery	103	73–122	100	Q3	1.3
93	Bladder Cancer	103	52–133	58	Q2	2.1
93	Journal of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery	103	79–140	54	Q3	1.1
96	Colorectal Disease	104	71–136	87	Q2	1.5
96	Endoscopic Ultrasound	104	53–164	93	Q2	2.2
96	Gastroenterology Review-Przeglad Gastroenterologiczny	104	52–167	99	Q3	1.2
99	Tuberculosis	105	81–131	100	Q2	2.2
99	JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION	105	67–139	100	Q4	0.6

Median days: half of the journal’s accepted articles took less time from submission to acceptance and half took more. Middle half: the 25th to 75th percentile. Articles: how many recent PubMed articles had both dates. Journals with the same rounded median share a rank.

Median under 30 days. Very short intervals usually reflect how a journal records its dates (for example a new received date after revision) or invited and fast-track article types such as reviews and editorials, not unusually quick peer review. Check the journal’s peer-review policy before reading anything into them.

Showing the 100 fastest of 192 surgery journals. Every journal’s figure is on its own page and in the acceptance times dataset.

Questions about surgery journal acceptance times

Which surgery journals accept papers fastest?

Among the 192 surgery journals with enough PubMed dates, the shortest median times from submission to acceptance (leaving out medians under 30 days, which usually reflect how dates are recorded) are Journal of Craniovertebral Junction and Spine (31 days), Korean Journal of Gastroenterology (33 days), CLINICAL ORTHOPAEDICS AND RELATED RESEARCH (42 days), FOLIA MORPHOLOGICA (43 days), Arthroscopy Techniques (46 days). These medians include peer review and revisions, and cover accepted papers only.

How long does a surgery journal take to accept a paper?

The typical surgery journal on this page has a median of 104 days from submission to acceptance. 23 of 192 journals have a median under 60 days and 18 take more than 180 days.

Is this the peer review time?

No. PubMed records when a manuscript was received and when it was accepted, not the individual review stages. The interval includes editorial handling, peer review, revisions and the time authors spent revising, so it is longer than the time to a first decision. For first-decision times, check the journal’s own website.

Does a fast journal mean my paper is more likely to be accepted?

No. Only accepted papers have an acceptance date, so this ranking says nothing about acceptance rates or how quickly a journal rejects papers. A very fast acceptance can also be a sign of light peer review. Check the journal’s scope, indexing and peer-review policy before submitting.

About this data

Source: the received and accepted dates publishers deposit in PubMed, read through the public NCBI E-utilities for articles published 2024-01-01 to 2025-12-31, up to 100 recent articles per journal. Data checked 2026-11-03.
A journal is ranked only when at least 20 articles have both dates and at least half of the articles checked have them. Journals that do not deposit dates in PubMed, including most journals outside the life sciences, cannot be ranked here.
The ranking uses each journal’s median: half of its accepted articles took less time and half took more. The middle-half range shows the 25th to 75th percentile.
Fields come from the OpenAlex classification of each journal’s research topics. A journal joins a field when at least two of its four main topics are in it, so a journal can appear in more than one field and some classifications are imperfect.
Quartile and score are the journal’s best OpenAlex subfield quartile and its Journal Metrics Score, shown for context; they play no part in the order.

The full journal-level dataset is in the journal acceptance times study (with a CSV download). Spot an error or a journal whose dates look wrong? Tell us.

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