Eight patients with stable ischaemic heart disease were investigated to determine the effects of fentanyl (15 micrograms/kg) - droperidol (150 micrograms/kg) - nitrous oxide (75%) anaesthesia, without concomitant fluid challenge, on myocardial oxygen consumption and lactate uptake, and central and coronary haemodynamics. Anaesthesia induced reductions in mean arterial pressure (--35%, P less than 0.01), systemic vascular resistance (--30%, P less than 0.01), left ventricular stroke work index (--50%, P less than 0.01) and total body oxygen consumption (--23%, P less than 0.01), with no changes in heart rate, cardiac output or mean pulmonary arteriolar occlusion pressure. Mixed venous oxygen content increased (P less than 0.05). Systemic vasodilatation, circulatory adaptation to an overall lower metabolic rate, and clinically negligible cardiodepression are the likely mechanisms behind the central haemodynamic response to this form of anaesthesia. Coronary sinus blood flow (measured by the continuous thermodilution technique) decreased (P less than 0.01) in parallel with the decrease in coronary perfusion pressure. Thus coronary vascular resistance remained unchanged. As expected from the haemodynamic findings, myocardial oxygen consumption decreased (--37%, P less than 0.01). Coronary sinus oxygen content and myocardial oxygen extraction did not change, nor was myocardial lactate uptake affected. No ST-T-segment depressions or dysrhythmias were recorded. These observations indicate that myocardial oxygenation was adequate in spite of the reduction in coronary perfusion pressure. There was poor correlation between changes in myocardial oxygen consumption and rate pressure product (R = 0.455) or triple produce (R - 0.375).