Randomized comparison of sevoflurane versus propofol to reduce perioperative myocardial ischemia in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Background: Volatile anesthetics provide myocardial preconditioning in coronary surgery patients. We hypothesized that sevoflurane compared with propofol reduces the incidence of myocardial ischemia in patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 385 patients at cardiovascular risk in 3 centers.

Feasibility of measuring myocardial performance index of the right ventricle in anesthetized patients.

Objective: Myocardial performance index, the sum of the 2 isovolumic times divided by the ejection time, contains information on global systolic and diastolic function. This study was performed to determine the feasibility of right ventricular myocardial performance index measurements if measured by transesophageal echocardiography in patients under general anesthesia and positive-pressure ventilation.

Design: A prospective cohort study.