Background : This study was conducted to evaluate the hemodynamic effects, the time to arousal and the postoperative recall with the continuous infusion technique of sufentanil and midazolam used for induction and maintenance of anesthesia in patients undergoing open heart surgery. Methods : Forty patients with good ventricular function undergoing elective open heart surgery were evaluated. They received midazolam 0.1 mg/kg, pancuronium 0.15 mg/kg and sufentanil 2.5 mcg/kg, followed by infusions of midazolam 0.1 mg/kg/hr, pancuronium 0.02 mg/kg/hr and sufentanil 1.5 mcg/kg/hr until the end of operation. We observed the mean arterial pressure, heart rate and central venous pressure before the initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) and recorded the time to arousal after the end of operation and asked about awareness of any intraoperative events on the third postoperative day. Results : The mean arterial pressures during prebypass period were lower than preinduction value but there were no severe hypotension with mean arterial pressures less than 60 mmHg. The mean arousal time of eye opening was 119 minutes and there was no postoperative recall case. Conclusions : The results show that the infusion of sufentanil with midazolam to patients with good ventricular function provides a stable and safe anesthesia hemodynamically and neurologically and a rapid recovery from anesthesia without postoperative recall. (Korean J Anesthesiol 1998; 35: 58∼63)