Purpose:To compare the haemodynamic responses to surgical incision during sevoflurane and isoflurane anaesthesia and to compare the haemodynamic effects of each anaesthetic alone with those obtained using an equipotent mixture of each anaesthetic plus N20 during steady-state surgical stimulation. Methods: Twenty-four patients undergoing gastrectomy were randomized to receive sevoflurane (n --12) or isoflurane (n = 12). At 1.5 MAC, haemodynamic measurements were performed before and after surgical incision. During intestinal anastomosis, patients in each group were given (in random order) either 1.5 MAC of the designated anaesthetic or 0.85 MAC of the volatile plus 0.65 MAC N20. Haemodynamic measurements were repeated under each condition. R~.sults: One patient in the sevoflurane group and two in the isoflurane group were excluded from the incision study because of hypotension. In both groups, incision increased the heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PC~), cardiac index, and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI). There were no intergroup differences in the effects of incision. Inclusion of N20 resulted in an increase of NPAP (P <0.05) in both groups, an increase of central venous pressure and PCVVP in the sevoflurane group (P < 0.005), and a decrease of I-IR (P <0.005) and an increase of SVRI (P <0.05) in the isoflurane group. There were no intergroup differences in the effects of N20. Conclusions: At 1.5 MAC, sevoflurane and isoflurane do not prevent the haemodynamic response to incision. The haemodynamic effects of each volatile anaesthetic with N20 are minimal compared with those of equi-lAC volatile alone.Objcctifs : Comparer les rEponses hEmodynamiques ~ I'incision chirurgicale pendant I'anesthEsie au --~votiurane et ~ risoflurane; comparer les effets hEmodynamiques de chacun de ces anesthEsiques seuls avec ceux d'un melange 6quipotent de chacun associ6 au N20 pendant une stimulation chirurgicale une fois rEtat d'Equilibre atteint. MEthodes : Vingt-quatre patients subissant une gastrectomie Etaient rEpartis alEatoirement pour recevoir du sEvoflurane (n = 12) ou de I'isoflurane (n= 12). ik 1,5 MAC, les mesures hEmodynamiques Etaient effectuEes avant et aprEs I'incision, Pendant I'anastomose intestinale, les patients de chaque groupe recevaient (de fagon alEatoire) soit 1,5 MAC de I'agent dEsign6 ou 0,85 MAC de I'agent volatile plus 0,65 MAC de N20. Les mesures hEmodynamique Etaient alors rEpEtEes, I~.sultats : Un patient du groupe sEvoflurane et deux patients du groupe isoflurane ont EtE exclus parce qu'ils Etaient hypotendus au moment de I'incision. Dans les deux groupes, rincision a provoclu4 une accElEration de la frEquence cardiaque (FC), une augmentation de la pression artErielle moyenne, de la pression art6rielle pulmonaire moyenne (PAPN), de la pression capillaire bloquEe (PCB), de I'index cardiaque et de la resistance vasculaire systEmique indexEe (RVSI), II n'y avait pas de differences entre les groupes en ce qui c...