ObjectiveThrough comparing the efficacy of levosimendan with dopamine for severe valvular disease patients with atrial fibrillation surgery to explore the efficacy and safety of levosimendan used in cardiac surgery. MethodsWe allocated 48 severe valvular disease patients with atrial fibrillation surgery into a dopamine group (24 patients with 15 males and 9 females at age of 55.0 ± 17.4 years) and a levosimendan group (24 patients with 18 males and 6 females at age of 52.3 ± 16.2 years) by random digital table in the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College between February and June 2014. The effects of the two groups were compared. ResultsHospitalization time (18.7±8.6 d vs 20.6±7.5 d, t=11.52, P=0.02) and the incidence of acute kidney injury(1/24 vs 5/24, χ2=25.30, P=0.01) in the levosimendan group were lower than those in the dopamine group. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in other early clinical outcomes. At each postoperative time point, there was no statistical difference in creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) between the two groups. While 6 to 48 hours after operation, there were significant differences in cardiac troponin (cTnI) and brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) level between the two groups (P < 0.05). Five days after operation, the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) in the levosimendan group was higher than that in the dopamine group with statistical difference. ConclusionLevosimendan used for severe valvular disease with atrial fibrillation surgery is safe and effective, and has certain myocardial protection and renal protection effect, while its mechanism still needs further study.