Boy in Darth Vader car ad released from hospital

Associated Press
Max Page, 7, famous for his role as Darth Vader in a television commercial for a car, speaks during a news conference at Children's Hospital Los Angeles on Monday, June 18, 2012, in Los Angeles. Max returned home Monday after undergoing open-heart surgery last week for a congenital heart condition. (AP Photo/Grant Hindsley)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 7-year-old actor who plays a pint-sized Darth Vader in a popular car commercial is out of the hospital after open-heart surgery.

A spokesman for Children's Hospital Los Angeles said Max Page was released Monday, four days after his pulmonary valve was replaced in a two-hour operation. Max headed home with his parents and younger brother.

Max, who plays Reed on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless," was born with a congenital heart defect and has undergone multiple surgeries.

He rallied quickly after last week's operation, giving a thumbs-up the next day and telling his parents, "I am happy" the day after that, said his mother, Jennifer Page.

The valve used for Max will last about 15 years and won't require invasive surgery to replace it, according to the hospital. He faces six to eight weeks of recovery.

Maria Arena Bell, executive producer for "The Young and the Restless," said she and others with the show were "thrilled" Max was doing well, and look forward to his return when he recovers.

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