Result of early extubation in congenital heart surgery: experience in Songklanagarind Hospital

Fast track extubation is now becoming the preferred postoperative care for congenital heart surgery. This prospective study aims to evaluate the effect of an early extubation practice among pediatric patients submitted to congenital cardiac surgery. From August 2001 to July 2003, 56 patients with congenital heart disease who underwent open heart surgery were enrolled in this study. An early extubation practice group (n = 27) were compared with the conventional postoperative cardiac care (n = 29). Demographic, operative and postoperative data were analyzed. The patients' demographic, cardiopulmonary bypass time, cross-clamp time and total operative time were similar in both groups. Average postoperative ventilator time was significantly shorter in the early extubation group (1.77 ± 1.31 hours VS 25.82 ± 40.44 hours, respectively p 0.05). Postoperative complications were not found in the early extubation group. Four patients in the conventional group had postoperative complications and one (3.4%) required reintubation. Although the present series is small, we emphasize that early extubation in congenital cardiac surgery can be both effective and safe as it reduces intubation and ventilator times without increasing postoperative complications in selected patients.

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