Objective To evaluate the cardiac function of the patients with liver cirrhosis before orthotopic liver transplantation(OLT)using Swan-Ganz catheter.Methods Sixty ASAⅡ-Ⅳ patients aged 45-64 yr with liver cirrhosis scheduled for OLT without veno-venous bypass were allocated into 2 groups according to preoperative liver function:compensated group(group C,n=28)and decompensated group(group H,n=32).Anesthesia was induced with midazolam 3-5 mg,fentanyl 0.15-0.2 mg,propofol 1 mg/kg and vecuronium 0.1 mg/ks and maintained with 0.5%-3.0% isoflurane,fentanyl 0.05-0.10 mg and vecuronium 4 mg/h.The patients were mechanically ventilated after tracheal intubation,and P_(ET)CO_2 was maintained at 30-45 mm Hg.Radial artery was cannulated and Swan-Ganz catheter was placed via right internal jugular vein for monitoring of mean arterial pressure(MAP),cardiac output(co),cardiac index(CI),right ventricular ejection fraction(RVEF),mean pulmonary arterial pressure(MPAP),pulmonary arterial wedge pressure(PAWP),right atrial pressure(RAP),right ventricular end-diastolic volume(RVEDV),fight ventricular end-systolic volume(RVESV)and stroke volume index(SVI).Right and left ventricular stroke work index(RVSWI,LVSWI)and systolic and pulmonary vascular resistance(SVR,PVR)were calculated.Results CO,CI,SVI,MPAP,PAWP,RVEDV,RVESV,RVSWI and LVSWI were significantly elevated in group H as compared with group C indicating hyper-hemodynamic state.The SVR and PVR were significantly decreased in group H.There was no significant difference in HR,MAP,RAP and RVEF between the two groups.Conclusion The patients with decompensated liver function before OLT are in a hyper-hemodynamic state.More attention should be paid to perioperative myocardial protection.