TY - JOUR T1 - CABG-Procedures in Patients with Advanced Age: Early Extubation and Fast Track Management as an Option? AU - , J. Litmathe AU - , U. Boeken AU - , M. Kurt AU - , P. Feindt AU - , E. Gams JO - The Cardiology VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - 7 EP - 10 PY - 2008 DA - 2001/08/19 SN - 1811-8194 DO - tcard.2008.7.10 UR - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=tcard.2008.7.10 KW - CABG-procedures KW -advanced age KW -early extubation KW -fast track management AB - In cardiac surgery shorter hospital stays and decreased costs can be reached by early extubation and fast-track management protocols. The feasibility of such protocols in elderly patients is still discussed controversially. We analyzed 800 consecutive patients undergoing CABG. Total 496 patients (62 %) underwent early extubation, defined as extubation within 6 h postoperatively (group I). In the early extubated group elderly patients of at least 70 years (n = 210, mean age 78.1 years) were compared with younger patients (n = 286, 61.2 years). The mean length of stay (LOS) in hospital for all patients extubated within 6 h was 9.1 days vs. 13.3 days for patients who underwent later extubation. The hospital mortality rate was comparable between the older and the younger group of patients (2.6 vs. 2.3%). We found a shorter LOS in hospital among the younger patients (8.5±1.3 vs. 10.2±1.3 days), although the LOS on ICU was similar (old: 31±5 vs. 26±4 h). The immediate extubation (before ICU) could be correlated to the most uncomplicated postoperative courses among all early extubated patients. ER -