“…2,4 According to the 2016 Cochrane review, fast-track cardiac care includes "administration of low-dose opioid-based general anesthesia or use of a time-directed extubation protocol, or both," with the goal of reducing ICU and hospital length of stay. 5 The fast-track concept has evolved even further in some cases to direct postoperative treatment in a postanesthesia care unit with the primary goal of early extubation, followed by transfer to a stepdown unit, bypassing the ICU entirely. 3,6 Although no standard definition exists for fast-track extubation, extubation within 6 hours after surgery has been popular in the literature.…”