Intractable hiccups: treatment by microvascular decompression of the vagus nerve. Case Report

Idiopathic hiccups are usually managed with pharyngeal stimulation or a plethora of pharmacological agents. Hiccups that persist and prove intractable to these medical measures are treated by crush or ablation of the phrenic nerve, which denervates the major respiratory muscle. This is the first reported case of nondestructive microvascular decompression of the vagus nerve for the treatment of intractable idiopathic hiccups. The success of microvascular decompression has been documented with other conditions, such as trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm, that are characterized by hyperactive dysfunctional neurovascular contact. The vagus nerve was separated from the posterior inferior cerebellar artery by inserting a Teflon pledget between the nerve and vessel which eliminated the neurovascular contact. One year after the initial surgery, the hiccups recurred. The Teflon pledget had fallen out of place and the nerve was once again in contact with the artery. Once the contact was eliminated by wrapping the artery with a tuft of Teflon, the hiccups stopped. The patient has remained free of hiccups for 3 years. It is concluded that patients with intractable idiopathic hiccups who fail medical therapy should be considered for microvascular decompression of the vagus nerve.