Barbara Walters Goes Under the Knife; Regis Up Next

The View maven gets heart replacement valve surgery, while Regis Philbin announces he, too, will check into the O.R. next week

Absence makes the heart grow fonder stronger.

Or at least we're hopeful Barbara Walters' absence from The View this week will, as the talk maven underwent surgery on her ticker yesterday.

Beforehand, Walters tweeted, "Thank u for all good wishes. Very touched. I will be fine."

The show's rep is, for now, staying mum on the outcome of Walters' heart-valve-replacment procedure.

"No announcements are being made at this time," The View rep told E! News, refusing to comment on ET's report that she is expected to be released from the hospital within the next few days.

Walters took to the air on Monday to announce the surgery, telling viewers that sometime this week she would be going under the knife to replace "one faulty heart valve."

"Lots of people have done this," she said at the time. "I have known of this condition for a while now and my doctors and I have decided that this is the best time to do the surgery."

Meanwhile, fellow coffee-klatcher Regis Philbin, himself no stranger to surgeries heart or otherwise, told viewers that he would be returning to the O.R. next Tuesday, when he will have a blood clot in his calf removed.

Get well soon, guys. Leaving your shows in the respective hands of Sherri Shepherd and Kelly Ripa may send the world into perk overload.