VIDEO: Barbara Walters Scheduled For Heart Surgery
May 10 2010, Published 2:02 p.m. ET
Barbara Walters has revealed she's going to undergo major heart surgery, RadarOnline.com has learned. The legendary 80-year-old journalist said on The View Monday she's "going to have surgery to replace one faulty heart valve."
Walters’ news came as a surprise to her co-hosts on The View, who learned about the procedure only on Monday. When commended by co-host Joy Behar for keeping the secret well, Walters said she "thought it best not to talk about it too far in advance."
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Walters said she learned about the condition during an echocardiogram, and that she's strategically timed her procedure, which has a recovery time of up to three months, around the season.
"Since the summer is coming up," she said, "I can take a nice vacation."
Walters said she plans to come "roaring back in September."
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