HOUSTON (March 05, 2009)-Doctors say former first lady Barbara Bush is recovering Thursday after two-and-a-half hour heart surgery to replace her aortic valve.

Mrs. Bush was already up and talking in intensive care Wednesday night just hours after undergoing the procedure at The Methodist Hospital, family spokesman Jim McGrath said.

McGrath says President George H.W. Bush is with his 83-year-old wife at the Houston hospital.

Hospital officials expect the former first lady could be released in seven to 10 days.

Doctors determined last week that her aortic valve had started to harden after she experienced shortness of breath last week.

The hospital says the valve on the left side of the heart can harden with age and become less effective.

Symptoms of aortic valve disease include shortness of breath, chest pains and dizziness.

When left untreated, a hardened aortic valve can result in heart failure or sudden cardiac death.

Houston television station KTRK-TV reports that, at first, Mrs. Bush did not want her children, President George W. Bush and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, to know about the surgery.

Mrs. Bush did not think the surgery was a big deal, the report said

Last November, Mrs. Bush had surgery to repair a perforated ulcer.