The VAD helps the failing heart to pump blood and decreases the load or stress on the heart muscle. This seems to result in changes in the heart tissues and sometimes even some recovery of the failing heart muscle. The association between heart tissue changes and heart muscle recovery during VAD therapy is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to examine the changes observed in the heart tissue and in the blood that happen during VAD therapy. It may well be that by understanding these changes we will be able to develop better therapies for heart failure. In order to conduct this study, we seek your consent to obtain blood samples at a predetermined time and the heart tissue that would normally be discarded during the operation you are planned to undergo. We also seek your consent to analyze these specimens.