CLEVELAND, Ohio —Tommy Fello, owner of the iconic Tommy’s Restaurant in Cleveland Heights, hadn’t missed a day in the kitchen in 19 years — until he had a stroke on Christmas Day 2023.

Even after years of physical therapy, muscle stiffness and weakness in his left arm and leg made it impossible for him to get back to whipping up each day’s specials.

Then a fellow stroke patient told Fello about the first FDA-approved treatment for stroke. It was an implant that stimulates the brain, helping create new neurological pathways to improve muscle function.

This April, Fello became the first patient at the Cleveland Clinic to receive the Vivistim System. Developed by the Texas-based company MicroTransponder, it combines stimulation of a major nerve with intensive physical therapy to help pat

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