A device for stabilizing an electrode adjacent to a sympathetic nerve of a patient includes an elongated placement catheter having an electrode mounted at its distal end. The placement catheter is dimensioned for advancement through the potential space between the myocardium and the pericardial sac around the heart muscle of the patient, to position the electrode adjacent the sympathetic nerve. When activated, an engagement mechanism on the placement catheter inserts an anchor into the myocardium to stabilize and maintain the location of the electrode relative to the sympathetic nerve.
