title: Routine immediate extubation after off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery: 514 consecutive patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of routine immediate extubation in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Private hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred forty-eight consecutive patients undergoing off-pump coronary bypass surgery, representing 5 years of a single anesthesiologist's practice, were evaluated for routine immediate extubation. Thirty-four patients were excluded because they were already intubated, in preoperative cardiogenic shock, or converted to on-pump during the procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients received general anesthesia or general anesthesia plus thoracic epidural analgesia (25%) and underwent off-pump coronary bypass surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 514 patients who were intended to be immediately extubated were expeditiously extubated in the operating room. The numbers of reintubations, morbidity, and mortality were low.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Routine immediate extubation of most off-pump coronary artery bypass patients appears feasible and most probably safe.
authors.affiliation: Cardiopulmonary Research Science and Technology Institute, Dallas, TX 75230, USA. horswell@swbell.net
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Horswell
authors.forename: Morley A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.forename: Syma L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mack
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors