This will be a prospective observational study design to characterize right ventricular function in 5 consecutive patients undergoing LVAD implantation at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC). Pre-, intra- and postoperative care delivery to all enrolled and consented patients will meet the standards of care otherwise delivered to patients undergoing LVAD implantation at UMMC; care delivery will be at the discretion of the clinical care team and will not be altered based on the output of the right ventricular high-fidelity conductance catheters.
This study will include the placement of a pressure volume (PV) loop catheter in the right atrium of patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement and measure relevant PV loop data. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and pulmonary artery (PA) catheter parameters as comparators to the PV loop will be recorded.