Diaphragm pacing
![Electrical stimulation of the phrenic nerve has been known to stimulate respiration for centuries.](/Images/godic/202501/08/Gray8063900.png")
Diaphragm pacing, also known as phrenic nerve pacing (and even earlier as electrophrenic respiration), is the rhythmic application of electrical impulses to the diaphragm to provide ventilatory support for respiratory failure or sleep apnea. Historically, this has been accomplished through the electrical stimulation of a phrenic nerve by an implanted receiver/electrode, though today an alternate option of attaching percutaneous wires to the diaphragm exists.