BACKGROUND: Induced hypotension reduces blood loss in the surgical field and provides better visibility, but may produce ischemic damage to the liver. The purpose of this study is to compare liver function after induced hypotension between general anesthesia with enflurane and isoflurane in spinal surgery. METHODS: Forty patients were randomly allocated to enflurane (group 1, n = 20) and isoflurane (group 2, n = 20) group. During operation, hypotension was induced with hydralazine to maintain systolic blood pressure between 60 to 80 mmHg in both groups. Preoperative and postoperative 1, 3, 5 and 7 days' serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were evaluated. RESULTS: In group 1, SGOT levels increased significantly at postoperative 1, 3 days, and SGPT levels increased significantly at postoperative 3, 5, 7 days. In group 2, SGOT levels increased significantly at postoperative 1, 3, 5, 7 days, and SGPT levels increased significantly at postoperative 3, 5, 7 days, but there was no significant difference between the groups in SGOT and SGPT levels. ALP levels decreased at postoperative 1, 3, 5 days in group 1, and at postoperative 1, 3 days in group 2; however, there was no significant difference between the groups in ALP levels except in preoperative values. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that there is no difference in postoperative liver function between general anesthesia with enflurane and isoflurane in spinal surgery after induced hypotension.