The Mid-term Results of Thoracoscopic Closure of Atrial Septal Defects

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques including robot-assisted operations have been widely applied in cardiac surgery. The thoracoscopic technique is a favorable MIS option for patients with atrial septal defects (ASDs). Accordingly, we report the mid-term results of thoracoscopic ASD closure without robotic assistance. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We included 66 patients who underwent thoracoscopic ASD closure between June 2006 and July 2014. Mean age was 27±9 years. The mean size of the ASD was 25.9±6.3 mm. Eleven patients (16.7%) had greater than mild tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The TR pressure gradient was 32.4±8.6 mmHg. RESULTS: Fifty-two (78.8%) patients underwent closure with a pericardial patch and 14 (21.2%) underwent direct suture closure. Concomitant procedures included tricuspid valve repair in 8 patients (12.1%), mitral valve repair in 4 patients (6.1%), and right isthmus block in 1 patient (1.5%). The mean length of the right thoracotomy incision was 4.5±0.9 cm. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 159±43 minutes, and the mean aortic cross clamp time was 79±29 minutes. The mean hospital stay lasted 6.1±2.6 days. There were no early deaths. There were 2 reoperations. One was due to ASD patch detachment and the other was due to residual mitral regurgitation after concomitant mitral valve repair. However, there have been no reoperations since July 2010. There were 2 pneumothoraxes requiring chest tube re-insertion. There was one wound dehiscence in an endoscopic port. The mean follow-up duration was 33±31 months. There were no deaths, residual shunts, or reoperations during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopic ASD closure without robotic assistance is feasible, suggesting that this method is a reliable MIS option for patients with ASDs.

Anesthetic experience of patient with isolated left ventricular noncompaction: a case report / 대한마취과학회지

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare primary genetic cardiomyopathy characterized by prominent trabeculation of the left ventricular wall and intertrabecular recesses. Perioperative management of the patient with LVNC might be challenging due to the clinical symptoms of heart failure, systemic thromboembolic events, and fatal left ventricular arrhythmias. We conducted real time intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in a patient with LVNC undergoing general anesthesia for ovarian cystectomy.

Stanford type A aortic dissection in a patient with Marfan syndrome during pregnancy: a case report / 대한마취과학회지

Aortic dissection during pregnancy is a devastating event for both the pregnant woman and the baby. We report a case of acute aortic dissection (Stanford type A) in a pregnant woman with Marfan syndrome at the 29th week of gestation. She underwent a cesarean section followed by an ascending aorta and total arch replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass, without a prior sternotomy. The hemodynamic parameters were kept stable during the cesarean section by using inotropes and vasopressors under transesophageal echocardiography monitoring. The newborn survived after endotracheal intubation and management in a neonatal intensive care unit.

The anesthetic experience of implantable left ventricular assist device insertion: a case report / 대한마취과학회지

Because of insufficient number of donor hearts for cardiac transplantation, the use of implantable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has been increasing as an alternative. During this procedure, the fundamental role of anesthesiologists would be to maintain stable hemodynamics. This report describes the anesthetic case of a 75-year-old man who underwent implantable LVAD placement as a destination therapy of his heart failure in Korea. The procedure and anesthesia were uneventful with transesophageal echocariographic guide. He moved to the ward on postoperative day 10 without fatal complication.

Dilution and slow injection reduces the incidence of rocuronium-induced withdrawal movements in children / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether slow injection of diluted rocuronium could reduce rocuronium-induced withdrawal movements effectively in children. METHODS: After loss of consciousness, rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg was administered into 171 children according to the pre-assigned groups as follows: Group CF, injection of non-diluted rocuronium over 5 seconds; Group CS, injection of non-diluted rocuronium over 1 minute; Group DF, injection of diluted rocuronium (10 times) over 5 seconds; Group DS, injection of diluted rocuronium over 1 minute. An investigator who was blind to the injection techniques recorded patient movements followed by rocuronium injection. RESULTS: The incidence of withdrawal movement in Group CF was highest among the groups (all P < 0.0001). Moreover, withdrawal movement was less frequently observed in Group DS than in Groups CS and DF (P = 0.021 and P = 0.007, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Slow injection of diluted rocuronium reduced the incidence of withdrawal movements in children.

Ventilatory compromise in an infant with Tetralagy of fallot and right aortic arch after insertion of transesophageal echocardiography probe: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Right aortic arch, a congenital malformation of the great vessels, can cause compression of trachea and/or esophagus. We experienced a case of ventilatory compromise in an infant with tetralogy of Fallot and right aortic arch immediately after insertion of transesophageal echocardiography probe during cardiac surgery. Although intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography can be safely performed in infants with congenital heart disease, it should be done with caution in patient with similar vascular malformation.

Comparison of cardiopulmonary hemodynamic changes according to different ethanol bolus injection doses in piglets: the applicability of the study of ethanol injection effects on cardiopulmonary hemodynamic changes in sclerotherapy of congenital arterioven / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Ethanol injection during a sclerotherapy for the treatment of arteriovenous malformation, which performed under general anesthesia, can cause significant hemodynamic changes, even cardiovascular collapse. However, guideline for adequate management of hemodynamic change or preventing detrimental complication has still not been proposed. METHODS: Twenty-two piglets were randomly allocated to one of two groups: a 2.5 ml and a 4.0 ml ethanol. After baseline hemodynamic measurements, 2.5 ml or 4.0 ml of absolute ethanol was repeatedly administered in distal portion of renal vein with 10 minute intervals, and hemodynamic parameters were measured immediately before and after bolus injection of absolute ethanol until 10 minutes after final injection. RESULTS: Compared with 2.5 ml group, systolic, mean and diastolic pulmonary arterial pressures (PAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) of 4.0 ml group showed significant differences from the first bolus injection of absolute ethanol. Hemodynamic parameters of 2.5 ml group did not show the increasing or decreasing tendency during a session, whereas, in 4.0 ml group, systolic, mean and diastolic PAP and PVR showed significantly increasing tendency. However, systemic arterial blood pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance did not show increasing or decreasing tendency in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the hemodynamic alterations observed from piglet model, the bolus injection of absolute ethanol during sclerotherapy in congenital arteriovenous malformation requires careful hemodynamic monitoring. We strongly recommend that anesthesiologist should carefully monitor the hemodynamic parameters after injection of relatively large amount of absolute ethanol.

Combination of Antiemetics for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in High-Risk Patients

It was previously reported that the Korean predictive model could be used to identify patients at high risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). This study investigated whether PONV in the high-risk and very high-risk patients identified by the Korean predictive model could be prevented by multiple prophylactic antiemetics. A total of 2,456 patients were selected from our previous PONV study and assigned to the control group, and 374 new patients were recruited consecutively to the treatment group. Patients in each group were subdivided into two risk groups according to the Korean predictive model: high-risk group and very high-risk group. Patients in the treatment group received an antiemetic combination of dexamethasone 5 mg (minutes after induction) and ondansetron 4 mg (30 min before the end of surgery). The incidences of PONV were examined at two hours after the surgery in the postanesthetic care unit and, additionally, at 24 hr after the surgery in the ward, and were analyzed for any differences between the control and treatment groups. The overall incidence of PONV decreased significantly from 52.1% to 23.0% (p< or =0.001) after antiemetic prophylaxis. Specifically, the incidence decreased from 47.3% to 19.4% (p< or =0.001) in the high-risk group and from 61.3% to 28.3% (p< or =0.001) in the very high-risk group. Both groups showed a similar degree of relative risk reductions: 59.0% vs. 53.8% in the high-risk and very high-risk groups, respectively. The results of our study showed that the antiemetic prophylaxis with the combination of dexamethasone and ondansetron was effective in reducing the occurrence of PONV in both high-risk and very high-risk patients.

The Examination of Internal Jugular Vein and Carotid Artery in Trendelenburg Position with Head Rotation; A Prospective, Randomized Study / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the position and relationship between the right internal jugular vein (IJV) and the surrounding external landmarks using ultrasonography. METHODS: Fifty-four patients undergoing central vein access for cardiac surgery were enrolled in this study. The IJV, carotid artery (CA) and sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) at the cricoid cartilage level in 15o trendelenburg position with 30o head rotation were examined using a two dimensional ultrasound transducer of a TEE machine. Images of the vessels and the demographic data of the patients were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: At the level of the cricoid cartilage, the position of the right IJV was medial to middle of the clavicular head of the SCM muscle in 26 cases (48.2%), lateral in 11 cases (20.4%) and just above the middle of clavicular head of the SCM muscle in 17 cases (31.5%). In 43 patients (79.6%), the IJV overlapped the CA anterolaterlly < 5 mm, and these cases were regarded as normal. Ten patients (18.5%) had a medially positioned IJV overlapping the CA more than 5 mm and the IJV was positioned lateral to CA in 1 (2%) patient. The mean ratio of the overlapped diameter and the diameter of the CA was 33.6% and the overlapping ratios were greater than 50% in 10 patients (31.4%). The mean skin-to-vein distance at the angle of 30degrees was 1.82 cm. CONCLUSIONS: In 18.5% of patients positioned in the 15o Trendelenburg position, with their head turned to the left 30degrees, the IJV overlapped the CA medially more than 5 mm, which increased the risk of a carotid puncture using the blind technique.

A Correlation between Low Back Pain and Associated Factors: A Study Involving 772 Patients who Had Undergone General Physical Examination

Many factors are associated with the development of low back pain. Among them, exercise, obesity, smoking, age, educational level and stress are the most common. This study examined the association of these factors with low back pain. An additional aim was to determine a procedure for preventing low back pain. This study analyzed the responses to a questionnaire sent to 772 individuals who had undergone a medical examination at this hospital in 2003 and excluded the individuals who had shown symptoms or their test results indicated a particular disease. Assuming that there were no variables, individuals who exercised regularly 3-4 times per week would have a lower chance of having low back pain than those who did not exercise regularly. The analysis revealed that individuals with a college degree or higher education have a lower chance of experiencing low back pain than those with only a high school education or even college drop-outs. When the other variables were constant, age, extent of obesity (body mass index), smoking and level of stress were not found to affect the development of low back pain. The level of education was associated with the development of low back pain. However, regular exercise 3-4 times per week or more would be most effective in reducing the incidence and duration of low back pain.

Effects of Epidural Naloxone on Pruritus Induced by Hydromorphone Epidural Patient-Controlled Analgesia / 대한통증학회지

BACKGROUND: Opioid delivered by epidural patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is effective in relieving pain after surgery, but it is associated with side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, pruritus, respiratory depression, and urinary retention. The purpose of this study was to compare hydromorphone related side effects and the quality of analgesia when naloxone was added to epidural PCA regimen. METHODS: Fifty-two thoracotomy patients with PCA were allocated blindly into two groups. Patients in group H (n = 26) received continuous epidural hydromorphone (16microgram/ml) in 0.1% bupivacaine; patients in group N (n = 26) received an epidural infusion containing naloxone (2 microgram/ml) and hydromorphone (16microgram/ml) in 0.1% bupivacaine. The basal rate of PCA was 4 ml/hr and the demand dose was 1.5 ml with a lockout time of 15 min. Pain intensity, sedation, pruritus, nausea and vomiting, respiratory depression were checked at 6, 12, 24 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores were significantly lower in group H than in group N. There were no significant differences in the overall incidence of pruritus, nausea and sedation between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous epidural infusion of naloxone combined with hydromorpho-ne is not effective in reducing the incidence and severity of pruritus induced by epidural hydromorphone.

The Comparison of Transfusion Practice and Prognosis according to Transfusion Guidelines of Packed Red Blood Cells in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery / 대한마취과학회지

10.0 g/dl in group B (minimum Hb 10.4 g/dl). The rate of bloodless OPCAB increased from 2% to 57%. There was a similar number of blood restorations and wastage, incidence of wound infections, bleeding, arrhythmias, myocardial infarctions, sudden death, length of the ICU stay and postoperative admissions in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: With the new transfusion guideline, number of P-RBC preparations and transfusions was decreased significantly without an increase in the incidence of complications.

Effects of Insulin on the Resuscitation by Epinephrine for Bupivacaine-Induced Cardiovascular Depression in Dogs / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Because of the difficulty of resuscitation caused by bupivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity, the choice of resuscitation medication is still unclear. We investigated whether insulin can improve outcomes of resuscitation by epinephrine from bupivacaine-induced cardiovascular collapse. METHODS: Twenty-four mongrel dogs were randomly allocated to one of the two groups: an EPI group (n = 12), and an EPI + RI group (n = 12). Sixty minutes after induction of general anesthesia, baseline measurement of hemodynamic parameters and arterial blood gas tension was performed. Bupivacaine infusion was started at a rate of 0.5 mg/kg/min and kept until mean arterial blood pressure fell below 40 mmHg and heart rate 40 beats per minute. At this point, bupivacaine infusion was stopped and resuscitation was started, with epinephrine in EPI group and epinephrine combined with regular insulin in EPI + RI group. RESULTS: Bupivacaine infusion caused significant decreases in mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance and increases in mean pulmonary blood pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and central venous pressure. The recovery rate of EPI + RI group (8/12) was higher than that of EPI group (2/12). CONCLUSIONS: Combined administration of epinephrine and regular insulin improves outcomes of resuscitation of bupivacaine-induced cardiovascular collapse. Therefore, we believe that prompt administration of insulin should be strongly considered in case of bupivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity.

Caudal Epidural Injection with a Guidewire-Reinforced Epidural Catheter in Patients with Herniated Nucleosus Pulpose / 대한통증학회지

BACKGROUND: The epidural injection technique is a commonly used intervention in the management of chronic spinal pain, which has the advantage of delivering various drugs, such as local anesthetics or steroids, in higher concentrations to the inflamed nerve root. A guidewire-reinforced epidural catheter was introduced through a Tuohy needle during the caudal epidural procedure, with a catheter threaded into the affected nerve roots and the spread-pattern of contrast agents observed under fluoroscopy. METHODS: Sixty-seven patients with low back pain, who showed evidence of a herniated nucleus pulposus on magnetic resonance imaging, were included. All patients received fluoroscopically guided caudal epidural injections, with the guidewire-reinforced epidural catheter introduced through a Tuohy needle and threaded either to the right or left side toward the target nerve roots. After confirming the catheter tip position at the affected nerve root, 2 ml increments of contrast agents (up to 6 ml) were injected, and their corresponding AP fluoroscopic views were obtained. Three radiologists reviewed all the radiographic findings and measured the proportion of the area of contrast spread at the side of target nerve roots. RESULTS: Greater proportion of the area of contrast spread was observed at the side of the target nerve roots (P < 0.0001). At each level of contrast injection (2- , 4- and 6 ml), more than 70% of the spread of contrast dye was observed at the side of the target nerve roots in 85%, 70%, and 55% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of a caudal epidural injection and use of a guidewire-reinforced epidural catheter significantly enhances the target specificity, as revealed by the selective spread of contrast dye at the side of target nerves.

The Effect of Prehydration on Sensory Block Level in the Isobaric Spinal Anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Even though the effect of prehydration on the spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension has not yet been concluded, prehydration prior to spinal anesthesia is recommended in order to reduce the incidence and severity of hypotension. We investigated the effects of prehydration on hemodynamic change during spinal anesthesia with isobaric 0.5% tetracaine. METHODS: We prospectively performed this study on 96 patients who underwent elective transurethral surgery from October 2002 to January 2004. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either no prehydration or 10 ml/kg crystalloids administered over 10 15 min prior to spinal anesthesia. We compared dermatomal spreads of spinal anesthesia, hemodynamic parameters (blood pressure, heart rate), incidences of hypotension and bradycardia between two groups. RESULTS: Hemodynamic parameters, incidences of hypotension and bradycardia showed no statistically significant differences during spinal anesthesia between two groups. There were statistically significant differences in the dermatomal spread of sensory levels between two groups from 5 to 90 min after spinal anesthesia. Sensory block levels in prehydration group were statistically lower than no prehydration group. CONCLUSION: We hypothesized that prehydration can be one of factors that influence on dermatomal spread of local anesthetics in isobaric spinal anesthesia. The difference of dermatomal spread between two groups may be caused by brain blood barrier (BBB)-freely passing crystalloids, which may influence on the volume and density of cerebrospinal fluids. To verify this phenomenon found in our study, further investigation is still warranted.

Anesthetic Management of Pulmonary Arterial Pressure Change during the Ethanol Sclerotherapy of Peripheral Arteriovenous Malformations / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: We frequently experience the elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) during ethanol sclerotherapy of arteriovenous malformations. But, the study on the degree of PAP elevation during ethanol sclerotherapy has not yet been made. Therefore, we evaluated the PAP elevation during ethanol sclerotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed PAP changes in 124 procedures conducted on 41 arteriovenous malformation patients during ethanol sclerotherapy. We investigated the degree of elevation of PAP and the incidences of pulmonary arterial hypertension during ethanol sclerotherapy. RESULTS: High incidences of pulmonary arterial hypertension were observed during ethanol sclerotherapy (53/124 procedures, 42.7%). The mean highest PAP values were 33.8 +/- 10.9 mmHg (systolic), 25.2 +/- 7.9 mmHg (mean), and 18.3 +/- 7.4 mmHg (diastolic). Incidence of nitroglycerine administration was 47.5% (59/124 procedures). Mean PAP values at the end of procedure was 29.1 +/- 9.1 mmHg (systolic), 22.0 +/- 7.0 mmHg (mean), and 16.1 +/- 6.4 mmHg (diastolic). Conclusion: The incidences of pulmonary hypertension during ethanol sclerotherapy were high. Therefore, cautious management and close cooperation between anesthesiologist and interventional radiologist are essential to prevent dreadful outcome.

A Multi-center Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Balofloxacin and Ofloxacin for Patients with Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Balofloxacin is a new fluoroquinolone antibiotic that has potent, broad-spectrum, antimicrobial activity and a good safety profile during preclinical study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of balofloxacin in comparison with those of ofloxacin for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients randomly received oral balofloxacin at 100mg twice a day or oral ofloxacin at 200mg twice a day for 5 days at a ratio of 2:1. Efficacy was assessed by the eradication rate of baseline pathogens and clinical outcome of the objective disease. Safety was assessed by adverse events, changes in laboratory tests and vital signs. RESULTS: The bacteriological efficacy rate was 83.9%(99/118) in the balofloxacin group and 88.4%(61/69) in the ofloxacin group. In the equivalence test using 15% as the standard, clinically acceptable difference value of efficacy, balofloxacin was equivalent to ofloxacin [95% CI: -14.6% to 5.5%]. The bacteriological evaluation of the case whose baseline pathogen was susceptible to the study drug was 96.6%(84/87) for the balofloxacin group and 92.6%(50/54) for the ofloxacin group [95% CI: -4.0% to 11.9%], thereby demonstrating equivalence; as did the relatively high clinical success rates of 99.2% and 95.7%, respectively. The adverse event rate and the drug-related adverse event rate for the balofloxacin group was significantly lower than that of the ofloxacin group(p=0.036, 0.031). Neither unusual laboratory findings nor abnormal vital signs were reported for either group and there were no significant differences between the treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Twice daily administration of 100mg balofloxacin is as effective as twice daily administration of 200mg ofloxacin for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. With regard to safety, balofloxacin was confirmed to be safer than ofloxacin.

Prevention of Hypotension with Crystalloid Versus Colloid During Spinal or Combined Spinal-Epidural Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: The prevention of hypotension continues to be one of major challenges in spinal anesthesia (SA) for cesarean delivery. And prehydration is widely performed to prevent hypotension. However, some controversy exists over the types of fluid used for prehydration. Therefore, we investigated the effects of crystalloid versus colloid preload on the incidences of hypotension, and the notion that minimal local anesthetic used in combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) could further decrease the incidence of hypotension after colloid preloading. METHODS: One hundred and fifty parturients were randomly allocated into three groups: CR (crystalloid)-SA, CO (colloid)-SA, and CO-CSEA according to the types of preload and anesthesia. In the CR-SA group, 1,000-1,500 ml of crystalloid was administered under spinal anesthesia. In the CO-SA and CO-CSEA groups, 500 ml of colloid followed by 500-1,000 ml of crystalloid under SA and CSEA was administered, respectively. Bupivacaine 9 mg with opioids was used for SA, and bupivacaine 6 mg with opioids and epidural top-up with 0.25% bupivacaine 10 ml for CSEA. Incidences of hypotension, nausea and vomiting were recorded until delivery. RESULTS: Colloid preload reduced the incidence of hypotension (18% vs 44%, P = 0.005), and side effects (2% vs 20%, P = 0.005) compared to crystalloid in SA. However, lowering local anesthetic using CSEA (hypotension 20%, side effects 4%) did not further decrease the incidences of hypotension and side effects when using colloid. CONCLUSIONS: Colloid is a better fluid for prehydration in cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. 18-20% is considered a minimum incidence of hypotension.

Alterations of the Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio Measured by Using a Multiple Inert Gas Elimination Technique (MIGET) in One Lung Ventilated Rabbit / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: In this study, we performed one-lung ventilation (OLV) in rabbits to assess the effects of OLV on the VA/Q ratio and the respiratory physiological changes using MIGET. METHODS: Ten male New Zealand white rabbits, weighing 3-4 kg were selected. To perform MIGET, six inactive gases (SF6, krypton, desflurane, enflurane, diethyl ether, acetone) in 500 ml normal saline were injected intravenously. During two-lung ventilation (TLV), and after OLV for 30 minutes, blood was sampled for blood gas analysis and MIGET, hemodynamic variables were measured. For MIGET, the concentrations of the injected inert gases were measured and converted to retention/excretion data; the VA/Q distribution curve was obtained using a computer. RESULTS: Systolic, mean, and diastolic pulmonary pressures were elevated significantly and pulmonary resistance was doubled (P<0.05) in OLV compared to TLV. Blood pH decreased in OLV. The calculated intrapulmonary shunt was 19% and 52%, TLV and OLV, respectively. The analysis of VA/Q using MIGET showed that the VA/Q distribution curve was wider and that the VA/Q area was larger in normal rabbits. And, that intrapulmonary shunt approximated to 11%. In the case of OLV, a significant increase in shunt was observed but no change in the amount of dead space at distribution area, (log SDQ, log SDV) remained the same, whereas the VA/Q distribution curve shifted toward the right. CONCLUSIONS: OLV in rabbits showed severe hypercapnia and hypoxemia leading to a considerable increase in shunt. Because of the wide range of VA/Q distribution in TLV, no significant changes in respiratory variables were observed during OLV.

The Usefulness of the Bispectral Index during Propofol and Fentanyl Anesthesia for Coronary Bypass Surgery under Cardiopulmonary Bypass / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: The incidence of intraoperative awareness is known to be high in cardiac surgery using cardiopulmaonary bypass, and there is a tendency to use more anesthetics to maintain anesthesia without recall. We investigated the usefulness of the bispectral index monitor in reducing the amount of anesthetics without intraoperative awareness. METHODS: Forty patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass were randomly allocated into two groups. In the control group, systemic blood pressure was a main indicator to contol the infusion rate of propofol and fentanyl. Infusion rate of propofol and fentanyl were controlled by the bispectral index in the BIS group. A post- anesthetic interview relating to intraoperative awareness was performed on the second postoperative day by a research assistant. RESULTS: The average flow rate of propofol (control group; 0.137+/-0.012 mg/kg/min, BIS group; 0.110+/-0.003 mg/kg/min, P<0.01) and fentanyl (control group; 6.485+/-0.413mug/kg/h, BIS group; 4.321+/-0.5mug/kg/h, P<0.01) were significantly different between groups. The postoperative extubation time was 6.8+/-1.9 h in the control group and 5.3+/-2.3 h in the BIS group (P<0.05). The average BIS was 43.1+/-5.6. No subjects showed positive results in the intraoperative awareness test. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative monitoring of the bispectral index in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass for coronary bypass surgery reduced requirement of anesthetics without intraoperative awareness.