Objective To compare the incidence of reduction of the cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) uring one-lung ventilation (OLV) in general anesthesia maintained with sevoflurane or propofol in elderly patients. Methods One hundred and four patients with routine elective thoracic surgery which need for OLV in elderly patients (age > 60 years) were randomly divided into the sevoflurane group (group S, n=52) and the propofol group (group P, n=52). In the period of from being awakening to tracheal tube pulling-out, values of left and right rSO2, BIS, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation , end-tidal carbon dioxide were recorded every 5 min. Meantime arterial samples were measured. Results In the two groups, values of rSO2 for OLV were less than the values for double lung ventilation (all P < 0.05). Althrough in the group S the rS02 values were higher than those in the group P in various time, difference was not observed (all P >0. 05). In the group P, the number, total time, the longest time and the integrational values of iSO2 which was less than or egual to 45% were higher than those in the group S(all P <0.05). Conclusion Sevoflurane or propofol has no effect on the cerebral oxygen balance during normal ventilation, OLV desaturation of rSO2 is more frequent occurred during OLV under propofol versus sevoflurane-based anesthesia. Conventional monitoring during OLV such as pulse oxygen saturation or heart rate etc is insufficient to detect phenomenon of desaturation of rSO2