Objective: To evaluate the safety and cost-effectiveness of Short Stay Intensive Care (SSIC) treatment for low-risk coronary artery bypass patients Design: Randomized clinical equivalence trial Setting: University Hospital Maastricht, the Netherlands Patients: low-risk coronary artery bypass patients Interventions: 600 patients were randomly assigned to undergo either SSIC treatment (8 hours Intensive Care) or control treatment (care as usual, overnight Intensive Care).

Measurements: The primary outcome measures were Intensive Care (IC) readmissions and total hospital stay. The secondary outcome measures were total hospital costs, Quality of Life (QoL), postoperative morbidity and mortality. Hospital costs consisted of the cost of hospital admission(s) and outpatient costs.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Coronary artery bypass patients

Exclusion Criteria:

• age older than 78 years,
• ejection fraction of less than 30%
• stage 3 obesity (BMI>40kg/m2)
• haemodialysis (kidney replacing therapy)
• pulmonary hypertension (systolic <40mmHg)
• recent CVA (<1month)
• recent myocardial infarction (<24hours)
• cardiogenic shock, (systolic blood pressure<80mmHg,
• central filling pressure>20mmHg,
• cardiac index<1.8 litres/minute/m2),
• need for inotropic therapy (>5mg/mcg/min. dopamine or dobutamine)
• ongoing infarction (a significant increase of enzyme "CKMB" within 4 hours before surgery)
• the need for intra-aortic balloon pump
• inability to give informed consent
• inability to speak/ read/ understand the Dutch language
• patients who had emergency surgery.