BACKGROUND: Recently, using propofol as intravenous anesthetic agent is increasing. And it is known that propofol has little effects on liver function even after long operation such as plastic surgery. But its effect on liver functon after hepatobilliary operation which may damage liver was not studied. Thus, authors carried out this study to evaluate the effect of propofol on liver function by comparing with enflurane in the patients who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: Patients's anesthesia records and hospital charts from January 1994 to June 1996 were anlaysed retrospectively. Three hundred and thirty three patients who had normal liver function preoperatively and had no complications during and after operation were selected. They were divided into two groups ; propofol group (n=191) and enflurane group (n=142). The preoperative values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were compared with those of 1 and 3 days after operation. RESULTS: One day after operation, both propofol and enflurane group showed significant increase in AST and ALT (p<0.05) and decrease in ALP (p<0.05). But there was no difference between two groups. CONCLUSION: Concerned to liver function, propofol is as useful as enflurane to the patients who scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.