Open Access Finder

62 free-to-publish Scopus journals in Surgery

62 peer-reviewed journals in the SCImago category Surgery charge no APC and no other author fees, according to the DOAJ. The quartile shown is the journal’s quartile in this category (not its best one elsewhere): 4 are Q1 and 8 Q2 here. Data snapshot: October 2026.

62journals with no APC
4Q1 in this category
8Q2 in this category
50Q3 or Q4 in this category

Of the Scopus-ranked journals here, 19% are Q1 or Q2 (site-wide: 40%). Their median self-reported time from submission to publication is 12 weeks. Most are published in South Korea (9), India (8) and Russia (8). 92% accept manuscripts in English and 47% accept at least one other language.

All 62 free-to-publish journals in Surgery

Sorted by best SCImago quartile, then SJR. Click a column header to sort by it; click a second column to add a tiebreak. The search box narrows the list. Time to publish is the journal’s own DOAJ figure (average weeks from submission to publication).

#JournalQuartileSJRH-indexPublisherCountryTime to publish
1Journal of Liver Cancer
2288-8128 · 2383-5001
Q11.67215Korean Liver Cancer AssociationSouth Korea12 wk
2Asian Spine Journal
1976-1902 · 1976-7846
Q11.24157Korean Spine SocietySouth Korea24 wk
3Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery
2005-291X · 2005-4408
Q10.86857Korean Orthopaedic AssociationSouth Korea36 wk
4Holistic Integrative Oncology
2731-4529
Q10.70110SpringerSingapore25 wk
5Spine Surgery and Related Research
2432-261X
Q20.60825The Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related ResearchJapan15 wk
6Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal
1947-6094 · 1947-6108
Q20.60443Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular CenterUnited States61 wk
7Chinese Neurosurgical Journal
2057-4967
Q20.55919BMCUnited Kingdom10 wk
8Chinese Journal of Traumatology
1008-1275
Q20.55742ElsevierNetherlands28 wk
9Laparoscopic, Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery
2468-9009
Q20.51911KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.China12 wk
10Journal of Craniovertebral Junction and Spine
0974-8237 · 0976-9285
Q20.48134Wolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsIndia13 wk
11Journal of Chest Surgery
2765-1606 · 2765-1614
Q20.40211Korean Society for Thoracic & Cardiovascular SurgerySouth Korea7 wk
12Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery
0102-7638 · 1678-9741
Q20.38539Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia CardiovascularBrazil20 wk
13The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery
1110-1083 · 1687-8329
Q30.37127SpringerOpenUnited Kingdom23 wk
14Vascular Specialist International
2288-7970 · 2288-7989
Q30.35812MedrangSouth Korea17 wk
15The Cardiothoracic Surgeon
2662-2203
Q30.3558SpringerOpenUnited Kingdom9 wk
16Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
0970-0358 · 1998-376X
Q30.34548Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.India27 wk
17International Journal of Abdominal Wall and Hernia Surgery
2589-8736 · 2589-8078
Q30.2858Wolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsIndia17 wk
18Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia
0102-3616 · 1982-4378
Q30.26532Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.Brazil21 wk
19Journal of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Technique
2508-2043
Q30.2617Korean Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery SocietySouth Korea15 wk
20Cirugía y Cirujanos
0009-7411 · 2444-054X
Q30.25123PermanyerSpain48 wk
21Biomedical Photonics
2413-9432
Q30.24511Non-profit partnership for development of domestic photodynamic therapy and photodiagnosis "Russian Photodynamic Association"Russia8 wk
22Polish Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
1731-5530 · 1897-4252
Q30.21820Termedia Publishing HousePoland16 wk
23Journal of Trauma and Injury
2799-4317 · 2287-1683
Q30.215Korean Society of TraumatologySouth Korea11 wk
24Journal of Urological Surgery
2148-9580
Q30.214Society of Urological SurgeryTürkiye14 wk
25Амбулаторная хирургия
2712-8741 · 2782-2591
Q30.2044Remedium Group LTDRussia8 wk
26Российский журнал гастроэнтерологии, гепатологии, колопроктологии
1382-4376 · 2658-6673
Q30.19415Gastro LLCRussia8 wk
27Annals of Movement Disorders
2590-3446 · 2590-3454
Q30.1818Wolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsIndia37 wk
28Formosan Journal of Surgery
1682-606X · 2213-5413
Q40.16911Wolters Kluwer Health/LWWUnited States11 wk
29Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
1908-4889 · 2094-1501
Q40.1632Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc.Philippines48 wk
30Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica
1983-5175 · 2177-1235
Q40.1566Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.Brazil15 wk
31Revista Brasileira de Oftalmologia
0034-7280 · 1982-8551
Q40.15515Sociedade Brasileira de OftalmologiaBrazil13 wk
32Turkish Journal of Vascular Surgery
2667-5080
Q40.1544National Vascular and Endovascular Surgery SocietyTürkiye8 wk
33Хірургія дитячого віку
2304-0041 · 2521-1358
Q40.1545Group of Companies Med Expert, LLC, Kyev, UkraineUkraine8 wk
34Turkish Journal of Plastic Surgery
2528-8644
Q40.1535Wolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsIndia21 wk
35Гений oртопедии
1028-4427 · 2542-131X
Q40.15311Russian Ilizarov Scientific Center for Restorative Traumatology and OrthopaedicsRussia12 wk
36Revista Portuguesa de Estomatologia, Medicina Dentária e Cirurgia Maxilofacial
1646-2890 · 1647-6700
Q40.14913Sociedade Portuguesa de Estomatologia e Medicina DentáriaPortugal24 wk
37Хирургия позвоночника
1810-8997 · 2313-1497
Q40.1488Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, Federal State Budgetary Institution "Novosibirsk Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics n.a. Ya.L. Tsivyan"Russia7 wk
38Turkish Journal of Nephrology
2667-4440
Q40.1477Turkish Society of NephrologyTürkiye12 wk
39Вестник хирургии имени И.И. Грекова
0042-4625
Q40.1469Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical UniversityRussia8 wk
40Revista Colombiana de Cirugía
2011-7582 · 2619-6107
Q40.1448Asociación Colombiana de CirugíaColombia36 wk
41Indian Spine Journal
2589-5079 · 2589-5087
Q40.1436Wolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsIndia35 wk
42Indian Journal of Neurosurgery
2277-954X · 2277-9167
Q40.1426Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.India12 wk
43Surgical & Cosmetic Dermatology
1984-5510 · 1984-8773
Q40.13619Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia (SBD)Brazil24 wk
44Coluna/Columna
1808-1851 · 2177-014X
Q40.13411Sociedade Brasileira de Coluna (SBC)Brazil10 wk
45Трансплантология (Москва)
2074-0506 · 2542-0909
Q40.1345N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine of Moscow Healthcare DepartmentRussia8 wk
46Journal of Head & Neck Physicians and Surgeons
2347-8128
Q40.1323Wolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsIndia40 wk
47Iranian Journal of Neurosurgery
2423-6497 · 2423-6829
Q40.1314Guilan University of Medical SciencesIran10 wk
48Сеченовский вестник
2218-7332 · 2658-3348
Q40.1315Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University)Russia8 wk
49Journal of Orthopedic and Spine Trauma
2538-2330 · 2538-4600
Q40.1263Tehran University of Medical SciencesIran12 wk
50Revista Argentina de Cirugía
0048-7600 · 2250-639X
Q40.1254Asociación Argentina de CirugíaArgentina24 wk

Where these journals come from

Top countries of publication

  1. South Korea 9
  2. India 8
  3. Russia 8
  4. Brazil 6
  5. Ukraine 6
  6. Iran 3

Top publishers

  1. Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 6
  2. SpringerOpen 2
  3. Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2
  4. Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2
  5. Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda. 2
  6. "VIT-A-POL" Limited Liability Company 1

Manuscript languages accepted

  1. English 57
  2. Russian 10
  3. Spanish 6
  4. Portuguese 6
  5. Ukrainian 6
  6. Korean 3

About this list

Diamond open access (also called Platinum) means the journal is free to read and free to publish in: the DOAJ records it with “APC: no” and “other fees: no”. Quartiles come from the latest SCImago edition: Q1 is the top 25% of journals in a subject category, Q4 the bottom 25%; the lists show a journal’s best quartile. Read more in our open access guide.

Before submitting, always confirm the journal on its own website and in the DOAJ, verify Scopus indexing by ISSN with the Scopus check rather than trusting claims on the journal’s site, and watch out for look-alike titles (see the predatory journal checklist).

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