Zsa Zsa Gabor oblivious to leg amputation

Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband Prince Frederic von Anhalt has refused to reveal to his wife that her leg has been amputated in order for her to recover faster from the surgery. Photo / Supplied

Zsa Zsa Gabor had no idea she had had her leg amputated.

The 93-year-old actress - who had her right limb removed above the knee on Friday after gangrene set in and doctors were unable to save it - had not been told by her husband Prince Frederic von Anhalt that she had undergone the procedure until Monday.

According to gossip website TMZ, Prince Frederic was warned by medical experts not to inform his wife about the procedure amid fears it could raise her blood pressure and make her recovery from the operation very difficult.

Zsa Zsa believed she only had a small part of her leg removed.

The stage and screen star - who has been married seven times - has been in and out of hospital since suffering from two blood clots following hip surgery last July, and was even read her last rites by a priest in November after developing a "massive blood clot" in her leg.

Zsa Zsa was then admitted to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 2 after doctors feared she could lose her life if the limb wasn't amputated.

Her representative John Blanchette explained at the time: "She developed a lesion on the leg that had swollen a while back and caused her to go to the hospital for treatment, but it has not responded. In fact, it has increased in size, and the doctors have wanted to operate for several days.

"They're going to have to amputate part of her leg. They said if they didn't, she could lose her life."

- BANG! Showbiz