New York, June 20 (PTI) Apple's iconic chief Steve Jobs underwent a liver transplant about two months ago and is expected to return to work later this month, says a media report.
Jobs, who has has been on medical leave from Apple since January to treat an undisclosed medical condition, "received a liver transplant in Tennessee about two months ago", The Wall Street Journal has reported.
"The chief executive has been recovering well and is expected to return to work on schedule later this month, though he may work part-time initially," the daily said in a report published online today. Jobs did not respond to an e-mail requesting comment, it noted.
Quoting Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton, the daily said, "Steve continues to look forward to returning at the end of June, and there's nothing further to say".
Attributing to a person familiar with the thinking at Apple, the report said that when Jobs comes back to work, he may be encouraged by his physicians to initially "work part-time for a month or two".
The Wall Street noted, that may lead Tim Cook, Apple's Chief Operating Officer, to take "a more encompassing role," and that Cook may be appointed to Apple's board in the not-too-distant future.
Noting that at least some Apple directors were aware of the CEO's surgery, the report said that as part of an agreement with Jobs in place before he went on leave, some board members have been briefed weekly on the CEO's condition by his physician.
"Jobs, 54 years old, disclosed on August 1, 2004, that he had just been treated for a rare form of pancreatic cancer, called islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which can be cured by surgery if removed promptly".
"In a memo to Apple employees, he (Jobs) said that the tumor was diagnosed in time, that he had undergone surgery to remove it and that he wouldn't require any chemotherapy or radiation," the daily added.
Over the last year, there has been rising concerns about Jobs' health as he exhibited noticeable weight loss, and the "company's stock price see-sawed as health speculation intensified".
"While Apple has a deep bench of senior managers, Jobs, who co-founded Apple in 1976, is considered the company's visionary and creative leader," it said.
In January 2009, the Jobs said that he had a hormone imbalance that was "relatively simple and straightforward" to treat.
"But about a week later, he announced that the issue was more complex than he had thought, and in a letter to employees he said he would be taking a leave and Cook would take over temporarily," the report noted.
