Objective: To investigate the influence of lidocaine on systemic inflammation in the perioperative ventricular septal defect (VSD). Methods: Twenty patients, scheduled for ventricular septal defect were randomly divided into 2 groups: lidocaine and control groups. Before rebeat lidocaine 1 mg/kg was given.The venous blood samples were obtained from the central venous at the following points: after induction of anesthesia and before cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB,T1),1 h after CPB(T2),2 h after CPB(T3), and 4 h after CPB(T4). IL-6 and IL-8 were determined by radio-immunoassay. Results: Compared with those at T1, the levels of white blood cells,polymorphonuclear neutrophils,IL-6 and IL-8 increased significantly from T2 to T4 in both groups. IL-6 and IL-8 levels reached the peak at T2. Compared with those in control groups, IL-6 level decreased obviously in lidocaine group from T2 to T4, but IL-8 level remained unchanged significantly. Conclusion: Under CPB and VSD repair the systemic inflammation is obvious, reaches the peak 30 min after CPB and persists to 4 h after CPB. Perioperative administration of lidocaine is effective against the inflammation.