The clinical value of early extubation

The trend to extubate patients as soon as possible following large and complex surgery is supported by a large body of evidence showing early extubation is safe and saves money. However, the use of early extubation in liver transplant recipients is still debated. This review will explore the reasons why there is still resistance to the use of early extubation in liver transplantation.

Studies show the majority of liver transplant recipients can be extubated immediately after surgery. A multiinstitutional study addressed the safety of immediate postoperative intubation and confirmed that the rate of complications and reintubation was similar to the very low rate observed in recovery room patients. Investigators, however, cannot agree on what patient or donor factors predict successful extubation. These variables seem to differ between institutions.

There is robust evidence to support the use of immediate postoperative ventilation in liver transplant recipients. There is no evidence, however, to show that routine ventilation of all transplant recipients provides outcomes that are as good as those documented in extubated patients. It is probably time to turn the evidentiary tables around and ask proponents of routine ventilation to prove that they have done no harm and that they meet the new minimal performance standards established by immediate postoperative extubation.