Transforming lives of stroke survivors: AdventHealth, Orlando Neurosurgery first in nation to perform 50 Vivistim implant cases

More patients have been helped by an innovative device for stroke survivors at AdventHealth than any other health system in the country. AdventHealth Orlando is the first hospital to use the Vivistim® Paired VNS™ System to help 50 patients. This transformative device, designed to aid stroke survivors in their rehabilitation journey, has shown remarkable success in improving hand and arm function.

Jessica Pflanz was celebrating her 30th birthday when she had a stroke. She’s the 25th patient to receive the Vivistim implant at AdventHealth Orlando and said it is helping her grow more confident and has even allowed her to return to kayaking and paddleboarding.

“I was always very athletic,” Pflanz said. “Thanks to this treatment, I’ve gotten a lot of my movement back. I celebrated the wins and every time I was able to do something I couldn’t do before (using Vivistim).”

The Vivistim System uses vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with high repetition and intense occupational therapy provided at AdventHealth Sports Medicine and Rehab to enhance the treatment’s effectiveness.

The device is implanted under the skin in the upper left chest area and connects to the vagus nerve, which plays a crucial role in controlling involuntary body functions. During rehabilitation therapy, a wireless transmitter signals the Vivistim device to deliver gentle pulses while the patient performs specific tasks, helping to create or strengthen neural connections.

“It gives someone who’s had a stroke a second chance at a good quality of life – something that’s very important in medicine,” said Dr. Ravi H. Gandhi, medical director of the AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute and partner at Orlando Neurosurgery, who led the team in being the first to bring this breakthrough device to stroke survivors in the Southeast. “Vivistim focuses on allowing patients to regain their functional independence.”

Once patients have graduated from the intensive program with the occupational therapists at AdventHealth, they are then able to continue their progress through a self-directed, home-based therapy program using a magnet to activate the Vivistim system daily. This leading-edge medical technology can offer patients the chance to improve their recovery even after significant time has passed.