The aim of the study was to compare recovery characteristics in adult patients following general anaesthesia either with the new investigational volatile agent sevoflurane or with propofol. Accordingly, two groups of 25 adults undergoing outpatient surgery were entered into a prospective, randomised study. Patients who received sevoflurane were extubated at an earlier stage than those receiving propofol (6.6 vs. 9.8 min), and the times to eye opening (7.2 vs. 12.6 min) and hand squeezing (8.2 vs 13.8 min) were also shorter. As measured by the digit-symbol substitution test, patients regained the pre-operative level of cognitive function significantly earlier after sevoflurane anaesthesia. Modified Aldrete scores were also higher in this group within the first hour after anaesthesia than in the propofol group. Sevoflurane appears to be a useful alternative to propofol in outpatient anaesthesia.