In 8 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) classed as NYHA II or III, anesthesia was induced with high-dose fentanyl (0.05 mg/kg) and pancuronium (0.1 mg/kg). The patients were ventilated normally with the aid of a mask (O2: air 1:1, tidal volume 10 ml/kg with a rate of 10/min) for 5 min and then intubated. In 8 further patients with CAD NYHA class II or III, anesthesia was induced with 0.02 mg/kg flunitrazepam, N2O/O2 1:1 and isoflurane 0.5 vol%; they were relaxed with pancuronium (0.1 mg/kg) in combination with a bolus of 0.005 mg/kg fentanyl. These patients were also ventilated normally for 5 min and then intubated. Measurements of cardiovascular dynamics included cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), arterial pressure (AP), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), right atrial pressure (RAP), myocardial blood flow (MBF), and arterial and coronary sinus oxygen and lactate contents. Cardiac index (CI), stroke volume index (SVI), total peripheral resistance (TPR), myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2), coronary vascular resistance (CVR), coronary perfusion pressure (CPP), myocardial oxygen content difference (AVDO2cor) and myocardial lactate extraction rate (LE) were calculated from standard formulas. Measurements and an electrocardiogram were taken before anesthesia, after induction of anesthesia and after intubation. The hemodynamic parameters HR, AP, CI, CPP were relatively stable in patients anesthetized with high-dose fentanyl and pancuronium, whereas we found greater decreases in these parameters with the balanced anesthesia technique. Determinants of myocardial oxygen demand were higher in the high-dose fentanyl group; therefore, myocardial blood flow and oxygen consumption did not decrease to the same extent as in the balanced anesthesia group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)