Dr. Terry Dubrow says his medical emergency is one of the best things that ever happened to him ... 'cause he and his wife, Heather, are now saving folks from strokes.
We got the "Botched" and 'RHOC' stars in Century City and they told our photog his medical crisis helped get the word out about recognizing symptoms of strokes ... and they're getting messages from thankful families.
Terry and Heather say they're being flooded with messages from people who say they learned from them the importance of acting quickly when someone exhibits the signs of a stroke ... and it's literally saved lives.
TMZ broke the story ... Terry started slurring his speech when he was out to dinner with his family, and Heather insisted he go to a hospital ... with Terry reluctantly going after some drama.
Terry's since done a deep dive into strokes and he says people have an hour window to get medical treatment ... and if they act quickly enough, they can reverse the effects of a stroke.
It's pretty incredible ... Terry says based on the averages, he's estimating he and Heather are going to help save thousands of lives with their experience and messaging.
Terry's looking and sounding healthy since suffering a transient ischemic attack (TIA) ... which can be a precursor to a full-blown stroke.... highlighting the importance of getting care ASAP.