Country star Randy Travis remains in critical condition

Randy Travis remains in critical condition in a Texas hospital after doctors used a pump to stabilize his heart.

An update from Travis' publicist on Tuesday says he underwent the procedure after checking into the hospital Sunday with viral cardiomyopathy, a heart condition caused by a virus. According to the Mayo Clinic website, the disease weakens and enlarges the heart muscle, making it harder for the heart to pump blood and carry it to the rest of the body. It can lead to heart failure.

The singer's publicist, Kirt Webster, says the peripheral left ventricular assist device was used to stabilize Travis's heart prior to a hospital transfer to Dallas.

Travis thanked fans in the news release "for their love and support during this time."

No other details about the 54-year-old Grammy winner's condition were available.

The famed country music singer was listed in critical condition on Monday evening after being admitted to hospital Sunday.

The illness is a continuation of a tough run for Travis after a handful of recent high-profile appearances, including a performance during the Country Music Association Festival's nightly concert series and George Jones' funeral.

Long a popular figure in country music, the North Carolina-born singer has been trying to put his life back together after a series of embarrassing public incidents involving alcohol. Travis pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in January following his arrest last year, when he was found naked after crashing his Pontiac Trans Am.

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Travis was sentenced to two years of probation, fined $2,000 US and given a 180-day suspended jail sentence. He was required to spend at least 30 days at an alcohol treatment facility and complete 100 hours of community service.

The multiple Grammy Award-winning singer rode his alternately mellow and majestic voice to stardom in the 1980s and 1990s with hits like Forever and Ever, Amen and Three Wooden Crosses.