Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery often experience a range of problems and symptoms such as immobility, pain and insufficient sleep. Results from trials investigating testing in-hospital physical exercise or psychological intervention have been promising. However, no randomized clinical trials have tested a comprehensive rehabilitation programme consisting of both physical exercise and psycho-education in the early rehabilitation phase.

The aims of the present SheppHeart pilot randomized clinical trial were to evaluate the feasibility of patient recruitment, patient acceptance of the intervention, safety and tolerability of the intervention.

Sixty patients admitted for coronary artery bypass graft were randomized 1:1:1:1 to: 1) physical exercise plus usual care, or 2) psycho-educational intervention plus usual care, or 3) physical exercise and psycho-educational plus usual care, or 4) usual care alone during a four week period after surgery.

The acceptability of trial participation was 67% during the three month recruitment period. In the physical exercise groups, patients complied with 59% of the total expected training sessions during hospitalization. Nine patients (30%) complied with >75% and nine patients (30%) complied with 50% of the planned exercise sessions. Eleven patients (42%) participated in >=75% of the four consultations and six patients (23%) participated in 50% of the psycho-educational programme.

Comprehensive phase one rehabilitation combining physical exercise and psycho-education in coronary artery bypass graft patients shows reasonably high inclusion, feasibility and safety.