Stroke survivor regains some movement due to breakthrough device

For 62-year-old Bobby Burstein, this simple action marks a major medical breakthrough. Those same fingers once played his guitar until a blood clot triggered a stroke last September. The stroke left the Deer Park man paralyzed on his left side, his dominant side. He could not stand. His legs kept collapsing. His wife, Michelle, immediately called 911, a decision Bobby credits with saving his life. I remember the surgeon telling my wife, um, I don't know if he'll make it. Amazing. Bobby made it, but recovery meant extensive therapy. And when his progress plateaued, doctors introduced him to Vivastem, an approved implant that rewires neural pathways. It's an implantable device that implanted around the left vagus nerve, and it sends stimulation back to the brainstem and then through the cortex. Surgeons place the device under the skin and wrap a thin wire around the nerve in the neck. During rehabilitation sessions, mild electrical pulses retrain the brain to command impaired muscles, essentially teaching it to do what the stroke took away. The first, you know, six weeks is the most crucial part when the patients start to show the signs of improvement. And after that, patients start to work on their own disabilities by themselves at home. While some devices require ongoing stimulation to maintain benefits, Vivastem helps the brain reestablish function. So if a person learns how to pick up a cup, that skill stays with them, even if the device is removed or turned off. This has improved since I saw you a week ago, man. For Bobby, every milestone counts as a major triumph. I couldn't walk up and down the stairs. I could do that now. I couldn't drive. Now I'm driving. I could write my name now. He was very motivated to get better, and he worked very hard at it. Now Bobby is targeting his ultimate personal goal, playing his guitar again, proving that the human spirit always finds its rhythm. On Long Island, Jodi Goldberg, Fox 5 News.