In this large, multicenter database study, early extubation rates in postoperative cardiac patients did not significantly change between 2009 and 2018. Centers that performed early extubation more frequently did not have shorter ICU stays or difference in mortality rates but did have lower reintubation rates.

Among 69,739 subjects, 20% were neonates, 47% underwent early extubation, 5.3% failed extubation, and 2.5% died.

Overall, early extubation rates did not change over the study period.

Centers were placed in one of four groups based on their early extubation rate in lower complexity surgeries.

Centers that most commonly used early extubation had more ICU-free time among all patients in univariable analysis

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