Defibrillator diaphram muscle spasms

[gaw1938]

Defibrillator installed 12/0/08. One of the wires is connected to the heart very close to the nerve that controls the diaphram muscles. Every electrical impulse to the heart causes the diaphram muscles to contract causing a "hiccup" effect. I am told that my heart and diaphram nerve both respond to the same voltage level when usually the heart will respond to a lower voltage than would affect the nerve. The doctors have tried numerous times to adjust the voltage on the defibrillator and have it set as low as possible to still control the heart. It is still triggering the diaphram muscle nerve.

I am told I will have to live with these chest spasms. I am told the only way to fix this situation is heart surgery, to go in and move the wire to a different location............Do you have any other ideas?

[jlaracuente]

I recently got an implanted pacemaker/defibrillator. Before the day of the surgery, I viewed some videos of actual implantations. On one video, the narrating doctor noted that care was taken to place the leads not too close to the nerve that controls diaphram movement. I couldn't see myself living with hiccups the rest of my left. Maybe surgery is the only possible answer.