[Modification of circulatory behavior by the administration of buprenorphine in the postoperative phase]

Buprenorphin, 0,3 mg i.v., was used in 20 patients in the age of 51 to 75 years for analgesia after surgery for aortic aneurysm. Haemodynamic parameters of peripheral and pulmonary circulation, cardiac output, as well as blood gases were determined during routine postoperative controlled ventilation. The main results were an initial vasodilation and a decrease in heart rate, both of which reduce myocardial oxygen consumption. This effect is beneficial in the presence of sufficient volume substitution and optimal oxygenation in high-risk patients.