Should early extubation be the goal for children after congenital cardiac surgery?

Objective: We sought to determine the feasibility and assess the clinical outcomes associated with an early extubation strategy for all children undergoing congenital heart surgery, including neonates (age, <30 days).

Methods: We performed a linked database analysis of all patients undergoing congenital heart surgery from July 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012. We collected data on the cardiac diagnoses, preoperative status, procedure, and postoperative course, including the duration of invasive and noninvasive ventilation, failure of extubation, hemodynamic data, length of stay, complications, and mortality.