Early extubation after aortic valve replacement: Insights from a retrospective analysis

Prolonged mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery has been associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications, poor prognosis, and inefficient utilization of medical resources.Early extubation is widely regarded as an important goal in perioperative management.This study aimed to explore perioperative factors associated with extubation time in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic stenosis.Factors of interest included patient age, total fluid balance from surgery to extubation, intraoperative fluid balance-to-body weight ratio, and cardiopulmonary bypass time.We retrospectively analyzed 13 patients (mean age, 77.3 ± 6.5 years) who underwent AVR and were extubated within 6 h after surgery at a single institution between January 2020 and August 2022.Perioperative fluid balance data were collected from the start of surgery until extubation in the intensive care unit.Univariate linear regression analysis was performed to assess associations between extubation time and perioperative variables.Older age, higher total fluid balance, and greater intraoperative fluid balance-to-body weight ratio were associated with longer extubation time, whereas cardiopulmonary bypass time showed no clear association.These findings indicate associations between extubation time, age, and perioperative fluid balance in patients undergoing AVR.