Walters, 80, finally went public on Monday when she announced on "The View" that she will undergo surgery to replace the faulty heart valve later this week.
"You know how I always say to you how healthy I am. ... I've never missed a day's work," she began. "Later this week, I'm going to have surgery to replace one faulty heart valve. Lots of people have done this, and I have known about this condition for a while now."