Study objective: To determine whether perioperative landiolol administration suppresses postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) and the plasma cytokines elevation in patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery. Design: A prospective, randomized controlled trial. Setting: Akita University Hospital, Akita, Japan, from April 2012 to January 2015. Patients: Forty American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I-II patients undergoing elective esophagectomy. Interventions: Patients were randomly divided into two groups, landiolol group (landiolol: 5 mu g/kg/min) and control group (the same volume of covered saline). Landiolol or saline was infused continuously from the induction of anesthesia until next morning. Measurements: We examined the new onset of AF and sinus tachycardia, and measured plasma concentrations of cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-alpha.) just before surgery, at the end of surgery, the next day, and 2 days after surgery. Data (mean +/- SD) were analyzed using two-way ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni"s test for post hoc comparison; a P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Main results: Demographic data were similar between the landiolol and the control groups. The incidence of AF was significantly lower in the landiolol group (1/19 = 5.3%) compared with the control group (7/20 = 35%) as well as sinus tachycardia (landiolol group, 0/19 = 0% vs. control group, 5/20 = 25%). Plasma IL-6 level at the end of surgery was significantly lower in the landiolol group compared with the control group, but the other plasma cytokines levels were similar between the two groups during the entire study period. Conclusions: Perioperative landiolol administration suppressed the incidence of new-onset of AF as well as sinus tachycardia, and the plasma IL-6 elevation in patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.