BANGKOK, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Hawaiian icon Don Ho was in stable condition in Bangkok Wednesday after an experimental stem cell procedure to repair a potentially fatal heart condition.
Ho, 75, underwent VesCell Adult Stem Cell therapy Monday night, in which stem cells from his blood were injected directly into his heart muscle, the Honolulu Advertiser reported.
The treatment, developed by TheraVitae, reportedly can improve the heart's pumping ability by 20 percent to 70 percent. The 2-year-old procedure is not available in the United States.
Ho's Hawaiian cardiologist told the newspaper he recommended the treatment for the "Tiny Bubbles" singer who recently had a pacemaker installed because of an irregular heartbeat caused by cardiomyopathy.
He said Ho was too weak to undergo any more surgery.
Ho's former manager and longtime friend Ed Brown told the Advertiser the entertainer could be back performing at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel before Christmas.
