Objective To compare the differences between entropy and bispectral indexes on monitoring the depth of anaesthesia for the elderly patients during the target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol general anesthesia. Methods Fourty elderly patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery were studied. Anaesthesia was induced with epidural anesthesia combined with the target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol general anesthesia. Recording HR,MAP,BIS,RE,SE at different time, also the emergence time and extubation time after discontinuation, total operating time, total dose of propofol, and occurrence of the perioperative awareness. Results When applying ladder-type target-controlled infusion of propofol, BIS and RE, SE all changed with the conscious during induction,maintenance and discontinuation of propofol. There was no statistic difference between two groups. Conclusion In elderly patients with upper abdominal surgery in the implementation of epidural composite propofol target-controlled infusion when general anesthesia, BIS and RE, SE may reflect the depth of anesthesia, at the depth of anesthesia monitoring, entropy index and bispectral index are both effective.