BACKGROUND: Anesthetic practices such as early tracheal extubation facilitate postoperative recovery. Early extubation after liver transplantation has been adopted by some centers in the recent two decades. No universal clinical guidelines are used and questions remain. This review aimed to address the current status of early extubation after liver transplantation.

DATA SOURCES: A literature search of MEDLINE and ISI Web of Knowledge databases was performed using terms such as liver transplantation, early extubation, immediate tracheal extubation, fast tracking or fast track anesthesia and postoperative tracheal extubation. Additional papers were identified by a manual search of the references in the key articles.

RESULTS: Review of the available literature provided an insight into the definition, evolution, advantages and risks of early extubation, and anesthetic techniques that prompt early extubation in liver transplant patients. Early extubation has proved to be feasible and safe in these patients, but the outcomes are still uncertain.

CONCLUSIONS: Early extubation after liver transplantation is feasible, safe and cost-effective in the majority of patients and has been increasingly accepted as an option for conventional postoperative ventilation. Comprehensive and individualized evaluation of the patient's condition before extubation by an experienced anesthesiologist is the cornerstone of success. Understanding of its effect on the outcome remains incomplete. In the future, additional trials are required to establish universal early extubation guidelines and to determine its benefits for patients and practitioners.