SheppHeartCABG - Phase One Rehabilitation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Background: Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery often experience a range of problems and symptoms related to the procedure and the underlying heart disease.These problems include anxiety and depressive symptoms, immobility issues, complications such as wound seeping, neck and shoulder pains, interrupted and insufficient sleep. No studies have tested a combined intervention on phase 1 rehabilitation in coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients. However, randomised trials with either a physical or a mental part have been conducted with positive result, but evidence is lacking for a combined intervention. Before a large randomised trial was set up a pilot trial was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of patient recruitment and intervention: to test the safety and tolerability of the intervention by patients and to provide outcome data for sample size calculations. The SheppHeartCABG pilot showed trial feasibility, safety and sufficient inclusion rate and high compliance with most elements. Outcome data from the pilot trial has been used to sample size and power calculation in this randomised clinical trial. Objective: The objective of this trial is to investigate the benefits and harms of a phase 1 comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programme consisting of an exercise-training and a psycho-educative component, including plus treatment as usual in patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting.