Former US first lady Barbara Bush undergoes heart surgery

Former US first lady Barbara Bush is recovering at The Methodist Hospital after successful open-heart surgery on Wednesday to replace her aortic valve, a family spokesman said.

The operation was scheduled last week, after Bush (83) reported shortness of breath. Doctors diagnosed a hardening of the aorta, during which the valve narrows and obstructs blood flow.

"The surgery went extremely well," said Dr Gerald Lawrie, the surgeon who replaced Bush's aortic valve with a biologic valve during a 2u00bd-hour procedure. "I expect her to recover fully and soon resume her normal activities."

The wife of former US president George HW Bush was admitted on Tuesday night and is expected to stay in the hospital for a week to 10 days.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath said Bush was awake, alert and talking in the intensive care unit, with her husband by her side.