Barbara Walters recovering from heart surgery
TV legend to take break from work until the fall
Surgery to repair a faulty heart valve in Barbara Walters "went well" and the TV talk show host is recovering from surgery.
Cindi Berger, a spokeswoman for the news legend, confirmed late Friday that "the doctors are very pleased with the outcome."
Walters made a surprise announcement on her daily talk show, The View, on Monday that she needed the surgery to replace the aortic valve, which pumps blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
The 80-year-old said she had known for a while she needed the surgery but kept it a secret, even from her co-hosts: "I thought it best not to talk about it too far in advance."
Walters said she decided to have the procedure this week so she could she take the summer to recover from the surgery and be back at work in September. Recovery is expected to take one to three months.
The View, created and launched by Walters in 1997, hits its summer hiatus after this week.
Walters also co-anchored 20/20 for 25 years and hosted her final Oscars special for ABC in March after a 29-year run.
With files from The Associated Press