Yikes! On The View Monday, veteran newswoman Barbara Walters opened up about a secret heart condition that will have her going under the knife later this week.

Babs, 80, told the panel that she has a faulty heart valve and is scheduled to undergo surgery in a New York City hospital this week. She explained that one of the valves was getting “tighter and smaller” and needs to be replaced.

“Later this week, I’m going to have surgery to replace one faulty heart valve,” Walters explained to her astonished co-hosts. “Nobody wants to have this kind of surgery. It’s not elective.”

“You kept it secret very well, Barbara,” said co-host Joy Behar.

“I thought it best not to talk about it too far in advance,” Barbara replied.

Barbara plans to use The View’s summer hiatus to recuperate from the procedure. She’s expected to be in recovery for one to three months. Lucky for daytime fans, Babs promises to call into the show whenever she feels up to it.

“Since the summer is coming up, I can take a nice vacation. Recovery can be anywhere from a month to three months,” she said.

ABC News president David Westin said in statement: “There’s no denying that this is serious surgery. But it’s also a type of surgery that has been done often and successfully. And, as those of us who work with Barbara know, she’s in excellent condition. So, we have every reason to expect a great result and a speedy recovery.”

Best wishes to Babs…