Tannvik TD, Kiss G, Torp H, et al. - Researchers assessed 41 patients scheduled for fast‐track coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in order to determine the immediate beat‐to‐beat effects of on‐pump CABG surgery on contractility, cardiac power parameters, arterial load and ventriculo‐arterial coupling as well as classical haemodynamic parameters. Before and after cardiopulmonary bypass, measurements were done. Recording of flow and pressure curve was done from transoesophageal pulsed wave Doppler and a radial artery catheter, respectively. Using this, they calculated stroke work, total cardiac energy delivery, oscillatory power fraction (OPF) and arterial elastance (Ea)/ventricular elastance (Ees) ratio. The classical haemodynamic parameters were gained via routine haemodynamic monitoring. Outcomes yielded no evidence for clinically relevant cardiac stunning or altered arterial load immediately following cardiopulmonary bypass for CABG surgery. The Ea/Ees ratio and OPF remained unchanged; this indicate cardiac efficiency before and after cardiopulmonary bypass remained unchanged. In elective CABG patients, cardiovascular stunning is thus seems to be a phenomenon of inflammation and not immediate ischaemia–reperfusion injury or mechanical handling.