( CNN ) -- Randy Travis suffered a stroke and underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain Wednesday evening , his publicist said . `` Mr. Randy Travis is out of surgery and in critical condition , '' the hospital website announced Wednesday night . The stroke is `` a complication of his congestive heart failure '' for which he is being treated at The Heart Hospital at Baylor Plano in Texas , Kirt Webster said . `` We will have updates as they become available , '' Webster said . `` His family and friends here with him at the hospital request your prayers and support . '' Word of his setback came just hours after his doctors said Travis had `` stabilized and he has shown signs of improvement . '' The country singer was initially hospitalized Sunday at Baylor Medical Center at McKinney , Texas , `` with a presumptive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure , '' Dr. William Gray said . Travis , 54 , was transferred to The Heart Hospital at Baylor Plano in Texas on Monday , Dr. Michael Mack said . `` We determined together in a joint decision that a higher level of specialized care was appropriate , and therefore we transferred him to The Heart Hospital , '' Mack said . Doctors implanted a device in his heart to help blood flow . The singer `` underwent the placement of an Impella peripheral left ventricular assist device for stabilization prior to transferring hospitals , '' Travis spokesman Kirt Webster said in a written statement Tuesday . Opinion : Randy Travis taught me country . The Mayo Clinic 's website described the device as `` an implantable mechanical pump that helps pump blood from the lower chambers of your heart to the rest of your body . '' Travis ' illness is related to his `` recently acquired viral cardiomyopathy , '' Webster said . Travis had recently been on the road , performing in Detroit on June 28 and Chicago on June 29 . He was set to do a show in Deadwood , South Dakota , on Wednesday . He appeared well during business meetings on Friday and Saturday , Webster said . `` Then on Sunday , it hit him . '' Viral cardiomyopathy is a disorder where a virus attacks the muscles of the heart , causing the heart to beat slower , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's website . In some cases , the heart can stop , it said . Travis had a tough year in 2012 with arrests for assault and public intoxication , which earned him probation . Travis was at the forefront of the `` New Traditionalist '' movement in the 1980s and 1990s , but he faded as the '90s wore on . He made a comeback after turning to gospel music in 1999 . His song `` Three Wooden Crosses '' won song of the year in 2003 from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music . As one of country music 's top-selling artists , Travis has won seven Grammys , 10 Academy of Country Music awards and 10 American Music Award statuettes . His best-known songs also include `` Forever and Ever , Amen , '' `` Diggin ' Up Bones '' and `` Deeper Than the Holler . ''
NEW : `` Randy Travis is out of surgery and in critical condition , '' the hospital says . Travis ' stroke is `` a complication of his congestive heart failure '' Doctors implanted a device in his heart to help blood flow . His illness is related to his `` recently acquired viral cardiomyopathy , '' his publicist says .