Kelly Ripa’s mom, Esther, recovering from heart procedure

Kelly Ripa’s mom is recovering after going under the knife for a heart procedure earlier this week.

The “Live with Kelly and Ryan” co-host said Wednesday morning that she developed a greater respect for hospital employees after they cared for Esther Ripa in the ICU.

“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,” she said.

“Not just the surgeons and the physician’s 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, 51, told co-host Ryan Seacrest that her mom “did great” and joked that her father, Joseph Ripa, was bothering Esther with too many questions.

The former soap opera star first mentioned her mother’s procedure Tuesday when she said it was taking place at the same time as her show’s taping and joked that her mom makes “the worst patient.”

“I will say this, we were [at the hospital] late last night and very early this morning,” Ripa told Seacrest, 47, at the time. “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 revealed that the new style 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,’” she said. “My dad has missed his calling as a hairstylist.”