Xenon in Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

The investigators hypothesize that xenon application during OPCAB-surgery performs non-inferiorly to the administration of the established anaesthetic sevoflurane with regard to haemodynamic stability, respiratory function, and depth of anesthesia. The evaluation of the outcome will include several secondary parameters such as the incidence of post-operative cardiovascular and neurovascular events, the incidence of organ dysfunction and further adverse events. This study will further function as a pilot study for the evaluation of the incidence of postoperative delirium (POD) following OPCAB-surgery and xenon treatment. POD is a common complication of cardiac surgery/anaesthesia and may significantly affect the patients' mortality and outcome. Xenon possesses neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory qualities that may directly interfere with the pathogenesis of POD, as well as reducing other factors of perioperative organ injury including cardiac complications. Xenon´s favourable pharmacokinetic properties further result in rapid clearance from the brain, reducing any residual anaesthetic effects that may predispose to POD.