Left ventricular diameter via permanent pacing lead-based sonomicrometry tracks the development and recovery of congestive heart failure in dogs

Background: Real-time monitoring of left ventricular (LV) diameter can provide measures of ventricular performance analogous to stroke volume, ejection fraction and preload. We measured LV diameter using prototype pacing leads with integrated piezoelectric crystal transducers during development and recovery of pacing-induced congestive heart failure in conscious, unsedated, chronically-instrumented dogs.