HONOLULU -- World-famous Hawaiian entertainer Don Ho, 75, is recovering from an experimental medical procedure in Thailand.

Ho had stem cells from his own body injected into his heart, hoping to slow its deterioration.

Friends said Ho was not in imminent danger, but that he was looking for a way to reverse the deterioration of his heart and regain his strength. The method he found is both exciting and controversial.

Ho's friends said he was frustrated at how his weakening heart, the pacemaker and drugs it required were slowing him down.

"For him, it was a matter of lifestyle. He didn't want to continue to operate with the kind of lifestyle that he was being given," Ho's friend, Ed Brown, said.

At 75 years old, Ho is too old for a transplant and his doctor told him there was no proven treatment available. So, he decided to try experimental stem cell injection in Thailand. The cost is about $50,000.

"Since Don is a pioneer, they were giving him a deal," Brown said.

The 2-year-old company, TheraVitae, said it sends a patient's blood to Israel, where its stem cells are cultivated. A week later, in Bangkok, the stem cells are injected by catheter into the heart muscle, where some will hopefully attach and reproduce creating new muscle.

Even the company admits its not sure why, but it said all 10 of its patients so far have gotten better.

Ho is taking a risk, though. Some experts say its possible injected cells could throw off heart rhythm further. Some question whether it's ethical for a company to be testing a procedure in America while selling it overseas.

Ho was apparently pretty philosophical about the whole thing.

"He said, 'Ed, whatever happens, remember what I always say: You born nothing. You die nothing. And in between ain't no big thing,'" Brown said.

Ho is in intensive care, but a friend said he is already alert and impressing the nurses with his recovery.