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Every year, 15 million people worldwide suffer strokes, with 5 million dying and another 5 million left permanently disabled, according to the World Health Organization. But a new FDA-approved brain implant surgery is providing hope where traditional rehabilitation has reached its limits.

Tommy Fello was driving home from work on Christmas Day 2023 when his car began veering left. Initially thinking he had a flat tire, Fello soon realized something was seriously wrong. His family acted quickly, checking for stroke symptoms and calling an ambulance—a decision that likely saved his life.

The Cleveland Clinic is among a handful of U.S. sites combining physical therapy with vagal nerve stimulation through a brain implant to help stroke patients regain function after traditional rehab plateaus.

"In our experience so far, we've implanted about 10 of these vagal nerve stimulators and almost all of the patients have had improvement," says Dr. Mark Bain, a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic who performed Fello's surgery.

Months after the procedure, Fello is seeing daily progress in recovering movement and function.

Watch the full video above to hear Tommy Fello's inspiring journey and learn more about how this groundbreaking procedure is helping stroke survivors reclaim their lives.

Brain Implant Offers New Hope for Stroke Survivors