Ho 'up and alert' after heart treatment

BANGKOK, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Hawaiian singer Don Ho was out of intensive care at a Bangkok hospital Thursday after undergoing an experimental heart procedure.

His publicist said the 75-year-old entertainer was "up and alert" the Honolulu Advertiser reported.

Ho had his own stem cells injected into his heart Monday night, which is expected to improve the muscle's pumping ability by as much as 70 percent.

Ho suffers from cardiomyopathy and his doctor said conventional surgery could do nothing to ease the inflammation.

The procedure, which is not available in the United States, was performed by former University of Michigan cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Kit Arom and overseen by Dr. Amit Patel of Pittsburgh.

Arom left U of M a few years back to care for the king of Thailand.

Ho is expected to return to Hawaii within the next two weeks.