Bret Michaels appears in this Jan. 23, 2011 photo posted on his Facebook page. - Provided courtesy of facebook.com/BretMichaels

Bret Michaels' heart surgery is successful

Get more: Bret Michaels, Celeb Lives

01/25/2011 by Corinne Heller

Bret Michaels underwent successful surgery to close a hole in his heart on Monday, hospital officials say.

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A spokesperson for St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona told the Associated Press that the 47-year-old singer of the rock band Poison is recuperating in the hospital's intensive care unit.

Doctors had found the hole in Michaels' heart in April after treating him for a warning stroke and brain hemorrhage. On Monday, they inserted a device that will remain in Michaels' heart permanently to stop abnormal blood flow between two chambers of his heart, which is thought to have caused the stoke.

Despite his ailments, the rocker has been keeping busy during the past few months. He toured the United States and Canada with his side band and released his fourth solo album.

In December, an episode of this VH1 reality show "Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It" showed that he and longtime girlfriend Kristi Gibson, the mother of his two daughters, have gotten engaged.

"Barring any complications, I should be out within three to four days," the Arizona Republic newspaper quoted Michaels as saying about his surgery. "Then, I will be down (resting) for three weeks. I don't know if I can sit around for that long, but I'll try my best."

In the spring, Michaels plans to release his autobiography, "Roses & Thorns: The Reality of My Rock & Roll Fantasy," and launch a book tour.

Poison was most popular in the 1980s with hits such as "Nothing But a Good Time" and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Michaels gained a whole new generation of fans with his VH1 dating reality series "Rock of Love." He also won Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" in 2010.