Deezer D is out of the hospital and happy to be alive.

The entertainer, who played Nurse Malik McGrath on NBC's iconic medical drama ER, is out of the hospital after a six-hour surgery last week to correct potentially fatal heart problems (the same that killed funnyman John Ritter six years ago).

The actor, whose real name is Dearon Thompson, told RadarOnline.com, said that his colleagues from the defunct hospital drama were his base when his health problems -- needing an aorta replacement and leaking heart valve fixed -- surfaced.

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• Dearon Thompson
• Deezer D
• ER
• Eriq La Salle
• Heart Surgery
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• Noah Wiley
• Shi McBride