Extubation Times in Postoperative Congenital Cardiovascular Surgeries

Background: Anesthesia management in pediatric cardiac surgeries focuses on reducing morbidity and mortality, early mobilization and discharge, using health resources sparingly and increasing the quality of life of patients. The duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation is one of the most important factors affecting the process after pediatric cardiac surgery. Besides the view that postoperative mechanical ventilation is safe, there are opposing views that it causes an increase in complications; It caused disagreements about extubation times. In our study, we aimed to investigate the factors affecting extubation times after pediatric cardiac surgery.

Methods: 72 ASA≥III pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were included in our study. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to their extubation time. Those that were extubated in the operating room (OR) or in 6 hours after surgery (Immediate Extubation or IE), those that were extubated within 6-48 hours of admission to the ICU (Early Extubation or EE) and those that were extubated sometime after 48 hours or not extubated (Delayed Extubation or DE). Many variables of preoperative, peroperative and postoperative periods were recorded to see which factors correlated with extubation times.