Background: The concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is flourishing in multiple specialties, including cardiac surgery. Beside minimally invasive surgical approach, short acting anesthetic agent is one of the major components of ERAS programs. Remifentanil is an ultrashort acting opioid agent. The purpose of this study was to compare remifentanil and low dose fentanyl for postoperative recovery profile in patients undergoing minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS). Methods: This study was a retrospective study. We compared the recovery profile including extubation time after surgery, length of hospital stay, postoperative morphine consumption, pain scores and in hospital complication rate between patients undergoing elective MICS from May to August 2018. Results: Fifty-three patients were enrolled in this study, 33 of them were in group remifentanil (G. remifentanil) and 20 were in group fentanyl (G. fentanyl). The extubation times, average hospital stay, postoperative morphine consumption, pain scores and in hospital complication rate were all similar between both groups. Conclusion: We consider remifentanil can be safely used in MICS and provides similar recovery profile as low dose fentanyl.