Heart Failure and Aortic Stenosis Transcriptome

This study is collecting heart tissue samples during surgery from patients with different types of heart disease — non-end-stage heart failure, end-stage heart failure, and severe aortic valve disease — to analyze which genes are active and how they differ, hoping to find new treatment targets. **You may be eligible if...** - You are between 40 and 75 years old - You are having heart surgery for one of the following: a surgery to reshape the left ventricle (after a previous heart attack), placement of a mechanical heart pump (LVAD), or aortic valve replacement for severe narrowing of the valve **You may NOT be eligible if...** - You are pregnant - You have another genetic disease, cancer, immune system disease (collagenopathy), active infection, or are HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C positive - You are currently receiving or have recently received chemotherapy, radiation, or long-term steroid treatment Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.