Heart Views

Introduction: Early extubation after cardiac operations is an important aspect of fast-track cardiac anesthesia. In order to reduce or eliminate the adverse effects of prolonged ventilation, the concept of early extubation in pediatric patients has been examined at our institution. Material and methods: To allow rapid emergence from anesthesia post cardiac surgery, low-dose opioids, supplemented with continuous propofol infusion and low concentration of inhaled agent was used. Intercostal nerve block was used in thoracotomy operations. Contraindications to early extubation were: cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) > 2.5 hours, hemodynamic instability, uncontrolled bleeding, severe pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure. Results: Eighty-two consecutive patients were reviewed. The age range was 6 months - 14 years with mean of 3.3 years. Closed cardiac procedures were performed in 15 (18.3%) patients, and operations with Cardio-pulmonary bypass in 67 (81.7%) patients. No patient required re-intubation during the first 24 hours after operation. One patient was re-intubated 48 hours after extubation for sputum retention. There was no mortality, and the incidence of perioperative morbidity was low. Conclusion: Early extubation after pediatric cardiothoracic operations can be achieved safely, and is possible in the majority of such patients.