Washington, June 20 (ANI): Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs has reportedly had a liver transplant during his medical leave that started in January this year, and is expected to return to work later this month.

The Wall Street Journal has published a news story regarding this, though the publication has neither cited any particular source of information nor got any direct comment from Apple itself.

The report says that “a person familiar with the thinking at Apple” has revealed that Jobs would have a diminished schedule at first when he returns to work.

“At least some Apple directors were aware of the CEO’s surgery (as part of an agreement Jobs made with the board before he went on leave),” the Wired News quoted the familiar person as saying in the story.

According to the journal, Jobs’ surgery took place two months ago in Tennessee, where there are three facilities that can perform such a procedure.

The subject of Jobs health has been a front burner item since he announced, on August 1, 2004, that he had undergone surgery for pancreatic surgery.

On January 5, Jobs told the “Apple Community” in an open letter that the cause of his weight loss was not a recurrence of his pancreatic cancer but a treatable hormone imbalance.

Jobs also said in the letter that he had already begun a “relatively simple and straightforward” treatment for the condition, that he would remain on as Apple CEO during his recovery, and that he expected to be noticeably improved in a matter of months.

Just nine days later, Jobs announced his medical leave. (ANI)