Early extubation after thrombectomy did not improve 90‑day functional outcomes, new research shows. The single‑center randomized clinical trial included 174 adults with anterior‑circulation large‑vessel occlusion stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy under general anesthesia who were assigned to early (<6 hours) or delayed (6–12 hours) extubation. The study found similar rates of functional independence at 90 days (47.7% early vs 45.9% delayed), no significant differences in the overall modified Rankin Scale distribution, and similar hospital length of stay (median 6 days in both groups). Rates of pneumonia were 21.8% in the early group vs 29.9% in the delayed group, reintubation rates were 4.6% vs 2.3%, and mortality was 23.3% vs 22.4%, suggesting no measurable advantage to early extubation. Based on these findings, the researchers recommend that airway management be individualized rather than driven by a fixed timeline.