Kelly Ripa Says Mom Is Recovering After Undergoing Heart Procedure: 'She Did Great'

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Kelly Ripa says her mom is "doing great" after undergoing a heart procedure.

On Wednesday's episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan, Ripa, 51, told co-host Ryan Seacrest and the show's studio audience that she has found a new appreciation for hospital employees after her mom, Esther Ripa, underwent a surgery that she first mentioned Tuesday on the air.

"I got to tell you something, until you — and all people go through this, and you don't really realize what gems hospital workers are," Ripa said. "Not just the surgeons and the physicians assistants, but those ICU nurses are just so special and so fabulous at allaying anybody's fears, anxieties and just keeping everyone in the know."

Ripa told Seacrest, 47, that her mom "did great" in surgery and joked that her father was asking her mom too many questions as she recovers from the procedure.

RELATED: Kelly Ripa Trolls Mark Consuelos for Messing Up Her Thirst Trap Bikini Pic: 'Where's My Head?'

"Between children and parents, you spend a great deal of your time — if you're like me, what I like to lovingly call the sandwich generation — you spend time in hospitals," Ripa said. "And you learn that you only ask yes and no questions."

"It's like being a trial lawyer, but you're in a hospital," she added. "'Are you hot? Are you cold? Do you want dad to stop talking?' "

Jim Spellman/WireImage

On Tuesday's episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan, Ripa revealed that her mom's surgery was taking place as the episode was filmed and lovingly called her mother "the worst patient" for a doctor.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"I will say this, we were [at the hospital] late last night and very early this morning," Ripa told Seacrest on Tuesday. "My mom was wearing this turban, if you will, a wrap on [her] head. And she wouldn't wear it into surgery, they don't allow that. And this morning I see that my mom was sporting the chicest French girl bob I've ever seen."

Ripa said her mother's "amazing haircut" was her father's doing.

"She goes, 'Ugh, I didn't want to deal with it. I didn't want to deal with having to worry about my hair so I had your father cut it with the kitchen scissors,' " Ripa said. "My dad has missed his calling as a hairstylist."

RELATED: Kelly Ripa Shares Sweet Photo of Her 3 Kids: 'Back in the Nest for a Couple of Weeks'

"When I tell you how chic — I'm seriously thinking about giving my dad the kitchen sheers and saying, 'Give me the S. Ripa. Give me the bob!' " she added. "I'm telling you, it's the cutest haircut."

Ripa has publicly praised Esther in the past with throwback photos posted to Instagram showing off their uncanny generational resemblance to one another.

In "Flash Back Friday" Instagram post in November 2021, the Live with Kelly and Ryan co-host shared a pic of her mother, Esther Ripa, holding her as a toddler and sporting a gravity-defying beehive hairdo.

"#fbf especially grateful for this gorgeous lady," Kelly, 51, captioned the pic. "Special shoutout to mom's hair. Thankful it never collapsed during a single thanksgiving 🙏🏼🦃🎉."