The effects of extracorporeal circulation on plateler count were studied in 120 patients. We measured platelet count before, during, after extracorporeal circulation, and postoperative 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11th days to evaluate the effects of total extracorporeal circulation time and types of oxygenator on changes of platelet count The patients were classified into group I [extracorporeal circulation time < 100 minutes, 45 patients], II [100 < extracorporeal circulation time < 200 minutes, 48 patients], III [extracorporeal circulation time >200 minutes, 27 patients], and also all patients were classified into group B [bubble oxygenator, 84 patients] and group M [membrane oxygenator, 36 patients]. The group I, II, III were subclassified into IB, IM, IIB, IIM, IIIB and IIIM according to the types of oxygenator. The results were as follows: 1. The platelet counts were reduced throughout extracorporeal circulation and in the early postoperative periods upto postoperative third day. 2. The platelet counts after postoperative 9th to 11th day increased significantly compared with those of preoperative levels. 3. After extracorporeal circulation, the platelet recovered gradually in all groups, especially faster in group I compared with those of group II and III. 4. The effect of the type of oxygenator on the recovery of platelet count was not significant. In conclusion, extracorporeal circulation time influenced the change of platelet count. Therefore, in order to prevent of decrease of platelet count associated with extracorporeal circulation time, the extracorporeal circulation time should be shortened.